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We can't shape a better world alone. Our strategic partnerships help us to collaborate with government, business and civil society to influence global discourse, policy and industry standards.
These collaborations enable us to tackle issues like climate resilience, energy efficiency, the circular economy agenda and infrastructure resilience. Our partnerships address systemic and long-term challenges, creating connections between commercial experts, government representatives, policy makers, civil society and the wider public.
Transitioning to a low and zero carbon emission economy
Our aim to decarbonise the built environment means working with partners at different scales. For example, our work with C40 Cities, WBCSD (World Business Council for Sustainable Development), ETC (Energy Transition Commission), and EMF (Ellen MacArthur Foundation), leads to collaboration with city decision makers, business leaders and others who share our commitment to a more sustainable use of materials and resources.
We also work with partners on major initiatives in both the built environment and urban mobility sectors, exploring how more sustainable methods of production and design can be implemented and commercialised.
Since 2020, we have been working with the World Green Building Council, sharing their commitment to achieving net zero buildings at scale. As technical specialists with expertise across every dimension of building design, materials and operation, working across thousands of projects every year, we believe we can play a valuable role. Our growing data set of buildings’ whole life carbon assessments is helping us to develop solutions that lower emissions produced by the built environment.
Achieving a circular economy
Today, businesses in every sector are waking up to the fact that we need to become much better stewards of our planet’s diminishing resources. Arup is a long time knowledge partner to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, helping to bring built environment perspectives to its pioneering work on the circular economy. Our partnership is currently focusing on how to speed up implementation of circular principles in the property sector. This work is a combination of advisory and technical insights, aimed at bringing greater sustainability to investor decision making. We’re also exploring ways to make circular economy practices easier to adopt throughout the property value chain.
Enhancing resilience
The global pandemic and increasing effects of climate change have both illustrated the importance of resilience, to businesses, cities and nations alike. To advance this vital agenda we are collaborating with leading resilience-focused organisations.
Resilience Rising was a global non-profit consortium innovating to make systemic resilience the norm as society transforms toward a net-zero future. The consortium built on the pioneering work of the Resilience Shift, the flagship resilience platform developed over the course of a five-year collaboration between Arup and Lloyd’s Register Foundation. Resilience Rising concluded its operations in July 2024, but many of its key programs will continue and the International Coalition for Sustainable Infrastructure (ICSI), which was incubated at Resilience Shift is spinning out as an independent entity. Arup will continue to work with ICSI and networks such as Resilience First to advance the resilience agenda.
Our work with Resilient Cities Network – the world's leading urban resilience network ensures a safe and equitable world for all. Since 2023 Arup has also worked as a partner to SIWI (Stockholm International Water Institute) on our shared goal of strengthening water resilience and ensuring that water remains at the forefront of the global nature and climate conversation. Arup and SIWI have collaborated before, working with Resilience Rising, the Resilient Cities Network and the Rockefeller Institute to develop the City Water Resilience Approach, a tool that helps cities to understand and prioritise water as they shape development decisions.
Creating socially valuable outcomes
As practitioners of architecture, planning, engineering and urban design, the social implications of our work are an ever-present issue. In recent years, we have carried out a range of research into how cities are used, finding ways to improve the equality of experience in public spaces and on transport systems.
Previously, we have worked in partnership with organisations like Lego, IKEA, UNICEF, and National Geographic as part of the Real Play Coalition. This work addressed a vital priority: how to shape cities so that children can socialise, learn and thrive safely. With urbanisation taking place at great speed in many countries, it’s important that the child’s experience isn’t ignored or overlooked.
Respecting the planet's natural boundaries
A key tenet of sustainable development is that we mustn’t exceed what the planet can naturally withstand. Establishing guidelines and guardrails in this regard requires a robust, science-based approach.
Arup is part of an unprecedented network of organisations worldwide which share the ambition of the Earthshot Prize to incentivise change and help to repair our planet over the next ten years. Arup – as the only built environment firm currently taking part – is helping the finalists develop their solutions faster to have the greatest possible impact, lending our engineering and consultancy expertise to supercharge their work to restore the planet.
Get in touch with our partnerships leader
Alice Charles acts as the Global Leader for our Strategic Partnerships programme – through which we work with international organisations, mayoral networks, NGOs, foundations and think tanks. Through these collaborations with government, business and civil society, we address critical issues like climate change, nature loss and inequity. Alice is a Director in Arup's Cities, Planning and Design team and has over 20 years’ experience in the areas of city and urban planning, real estate, urban development and regeneration, construction, infrastructure, transport, energy and climate change.
Partner publications
Explore what we've produced with our partners
Achieving net-zero buildings: An action plan for market transformation
Unlocking value in buildings: developing the business case for building circular
Achieving Zero-Carbon Buildings: Electric, Efficient, and Flexible
Achieving net zero buildings: key actions for market transformation
Learn more about our partners:
