Jessica Lovell joins Mace from consulting engineer Robert Bird Group, where she set up its sustainability steering group and was instrumental in developing Robert Bird’s net zero carbon agenda.

Lovell will lead clients’ embodied carbon reduction strategies, completely transforming the carbon footprint of the projects they deliver.

She said: “In modern buildings a large portion of carbon sits within the structure. If we want to drive meaningful change, it’s crucial that we engage not only our clients and their design teams, but also our supply chain partners early on.

“Significant carbon improvements can be made by asking the big questions early on. Depending on the project you could achieve up to a quarter of carbon savings.

“The majority of our clients already have a net zero strategy in place, and with our continued commitment to reduce the carbon in their assets, we are turning actions into tangible results.’’

To help clients reduce carbon emissions, Mace has spearheaded the use of low-carbon concrete cassettes as a construction methodology.

Using a replacement for cement, in partnership with Cemfree, DB Group and Innovate UK funding, Mace can reduce the embodied carbon of the concrete by as much as 75%.

Using a ‘Construction to Production’ approach, Mace has designed and tested the first prototype cassettes at Mace’s offsite factory in Brandon.

The project has also allowed for a significant reduction in carbon for the steel used in a floorplate, helping to generate improvements in overall embodied carbon efficiency of a project, whilst maintaining the same structural properties.

The cement-free cassettes will be used on some of Mace’s largest construction sites helping clients revolutionise the way they reduce the embodied carbon of their projects.

Within the business, Mace has pledged to reduce client carbon emissions by 1 million tonnes, as part of its 2026 business strategy.  It will also eliminate the use of diesel on all its sites by 2026.

It achieved net zero carbon as a business at the end of 2020, with a 50% carbon reduction and a 50% carbon offset.

It is now looking for further 10% carbon reduction target year-on-year to 2026.