Delivering on Decarbonization: Meet Helena Rivers
In this Decarbonization and Climate Resilience blog series, we’re highlighting our portfolio decarbonization and sustainability experts and how they are supporting our clients to reach their net zero goals.
Helena Rivers leads our Net Zero team in Europe and India. Her extensive background in engineering and decarbonization brings a wealth of experience to her role. Helena helps clients achieve net zero by developing decarbonization strategies, coordinating essential tools, and guiding them through advanced design processes to reduce their carbon footprint and leave a lasting, positive legacy.
Tell us a bit about yourself – your role and career journey.
My career began with a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Bath. I initially worked in the nuclear sector for three years before transitioning to the construction sector. I joined Scott Wilson as a mechanical engineer and quickly progressed to leading a framework with the London Fire Brigade, focusing on their property portfolio within the asset management team. Over the years, I progressed to leading the asset management team in London and later across the United Kingdom.
About five years ago, I shifted my focus to decarbonization. I initiated and delivered global and UK-specific portfolio decarbonization projects. Two years ago, I expanded my role to encompass a broader net zero strategy. I currently am the Net Zero Lead for AECOM’s Buildings + Places business line, overseeing projects in Europe and India. My role involves developing our decarbonization strategy, coordinating the necessary tools, and leading numerous client discussions on how they can reduce their carbon footprint and manage carbon through our design processes.
My role involves developing our decarbonization strategy, coordinating the necessary tools and processes, and leading discussions on how our clients can reduce their carbon footprint and manage carbon through our design processes.
Talk to us about a decarbonization project that has impacted or been a major highlight of your career. How is it solving the challenges and issues our clients and communities are facing today?
One of the major highlights of my career at AECOM has been our work on the UK government’s Public Sector Decarbonization Scheme, launched as part of the COVID-19 recovery efforts. This initiative aims to accelerate spending and prosperity in decarbonization of existing real estate. We collaborated with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to develop grant applications for 35 buildings. Given only three weeks to complete this task, we conducted audits and evaluations using a tool we had previously created and then translated our findings into grant applications. We successfully secured around £15 million in funding for the Manchester region.
Over the next 18 months, we developed detailed designs based on the high level opportunities identified during the audits and managed the project through construction phases to implement these decarbonization measures. Since the project was government sponsored, we also conducted a comparative analysis of the estimated carbon savings from our initial assessments versus the actual savings achieved. Despite the rapid pace of the initial assessments, our estimates were remarkably accurate across the portfolio, though there were some variations across different buildings.
This project is particularly meaningful to me because it exemplifies our comprehensive approach. We not only developed a strategy and pathway to net zero for our clients, but we also saw these projects through to the implementation phase. As a result, these buildings are now using less carbon, which is incredibly rewarding and demonstrates the tangible impact of our work on the community.
This project is particularly meaningful to me because it exemplifies our comprehensive approach. We not only developed a strategy and pathway to net zero for our clients, but we also saw these projects through to the implementation phase. As a result, these buildings are now using less carbon, which is incredibly rewarding and demonstrates the tangible impact of our work on the community.
Delivering net zero buildings involve reducing energy consumption and integrating renewable energy sources. What other strategies and approaches are important to achieve net zero goals?
When it comes to achieving net zero goals, it’s crucial to first understand what a client means by “net-zero.” For new buildings, we need to consider the embodied carbon associated with construction. It’s important to determine how much of this embodied carbon they are accounting for and their stance on offsetting it.
For operational carbon, which is the carbon emissions during the building’s in-use phase, our strategy often involves designing buildings to be net zero in operation. This typically means creating fully electrified assets and ensuring that the energy consumption is matched by renewable energy generation. As many grids globally are decarbonizing, the need for local generation or renewable power purchase agreements decreases.
Key strategies include removing hydrocarbon fuel sources from sites via transitioning from gas or oil-fired heating solutions to electrified solutions like heat pumps. This also involves using climate-friendly refrigerant gases in cooling systems. Another key area is energy efficiency and control optimization so that we’re only using energy that we need. By focusing on these strategies, we can help clients achieve their net zero goals effectively.
Key strategies include removing hydrocarbon from sites via transitioning from gas or oil-fired heating solutions to electrified solutions like heat pumps. This also involves using climate-friendly refrigerant gases in cooling systems. Another key area is energy efficiency and control optimization so that we’re only using energy that we need. By focusing on these strategies, we can help clients achieve their net zero goals effectively.
Many of the buildings that will exist in 2050 have already been built. What is the key to improving the sustainability of these buildings?
One of the biggest challenges in improving the sustainability of existing buildings is the fact that they are often owned, operated, and used by different entities, each with their own drivers and timelines for decarbonization, if they have such ambitions at all. Aligning these diverse stakeholders around retrofit projects can be quite difficult, but can be achieved with legislative drivers like the EU Energy Performance Buildings Directive, which is driving retrofit solutions to improve energy intensity in a phased way with the introduction of minimum energy efficiency standards in regions to support acceleration.
Major asset owners and funders globally wanting to decarbonize are important catalysts in driving decarbonization efforts. Tools like the CRREM (Carbon Risk Real Estate Monitor) are effective in this context as they measure both the actual energy use intensity and the carbon footprint of buildings. This helps portfolio holders understand and improve the performance of their assets in terms of sustainability.
A key strategy to accelerate change is to ensure that sustainability improvements do not impose additional costs on stakeholders. Increasingly, organizations are turning to energy performance contracts (EPCs) to implement their carbon reduction programs. In this model, a third party funds upgrades, such as HVAC systems, and the resulting utility cost savings are shared between the investor and the property user. Over time, the initial investment is paid back through these savings, eliminating the need for upfront capital from the building owner or occupier.
Major asset owners and funders globally wanting to decarbonize is an important catalyst in driving decarbonization efforts. Tools like the CRREM (Carbon Risk Real Estate Monitor) are effective in this context as they measure both the actual energy use intensity and the carbon footprint of buildings. This helps portfolio holders understand and improve the performance of their assets in terms of sustainability.