London’s Top Four Sustainability Stories in 2025
By Nicola Forest, Head of Sustainability, Structure Tone London
Sustainability continues to be a hot topic. So now that we’re halfway through the year, we asked our London Sustainability team to reflect on the most unique and exciting initiatives they have been working on to reduce our carbon footprint so far in 2025. Here are their top four.
1. Reimagine, Reuse, Repeat: Giving materials a second life
On one of our Kings Cross projects, we worked closely with our strip-out and logistics subcontractors, along with Material Index, to reclaim and rehome a wide range of inherited base build and CAT A materials.
Together, we diverted a significant volume of usable resources from landfill, donating:
- 90 furniture items
- 50 lockers
- 270 linear metres of ductwork
- 180 linear metres of steelwork
- 400 linear metres of timber joists
- 70 luminaires
- 170 sqm of carpet tiles
These items found a second life with a variety of organisations, including Age UK, Maiden Lane Community Centre, Cleveland Steel, Community Sauna, Lumiere Community Cinema, and ReSpace. This effort not only prevented 50.51 tonnes of carbon emissions but also helped us unlock two additional BREEAM credits that weren’t originally targeted.
One key takeaway? Reclaiming materials requires true collaboration, from careful disassembly to coordinated storage and distribution. But the impact is well worth it: a lower carbon footprint and stronger community ties.
2. Invisible Footprints: Pioneering TM65 carbon data at 20 Ropemaker Street
As part of the project’s commitment to embodied carbon reporting, our Structure Tone London team has helped develop over 139 new or improved TM65 assessments, enhancing the availability and quality of carbon data for MEP, IT, and AV systems.
With the support of Phoenix ME, we directly engaged manufacturers, many of which were undertaking TM65 assessments for the first time, providing guidance on the methodology and facilitating the collection of product-level data.
The results:
- 45 new TM65 calculations developed
- 25 existing calculations improved from ‘basic’ level
This not only improved the accuracy of carbon reporting at 20 Ropemaker, but through our partnership with One Click LCA, all TM65 assessments have been bulk uploaded to support future projects across the industry. These efforts are helping to shape a more transparent, data-driven future for low-carbon construction… one TM65 at a time.
3. Refurbishment Over Rebuild: B1 and LC03
By choosing to refurbish rather than rebuild, we, alongside the design team, saved approximately 9,754 tonnes of embodied carbon on our B1 and LC03 refurbishment projects.
But refurbishment isn’t just about sustainability—it’s about legacy. Reusing buildings gives them a second life, allowing them to remain part of London’s architectural heritage while meeting modern needs. B1 and LC03 now stand as examples of how thoughtful redesign can reduce environmental impact and celebrate the city’s evolving history.
4. Sustainable Choices, Responsible Impact: Product Responsibility Statements
We’ve now collated 150 Product Responsibility Statements from our supply chain and manufacturers. Each one documents key sustainability criteria of the products we’re using.
This includes:
- Material origin
- Typical delivery and packaging methods
- Product-specific certifications
- Carbon impact
- Recycled content
- Recyclability and reuse potential
- Ease of disassembly or demounting
- Options for responsible disposal or repurposing at end of life, including whether the supplier offers take-back programmes
This growing database allows our teams to make more informed design decisions, from reducing single-use plastics to selecting materials that are recyclable, demountable, and manageable at the end of their lifespan.
It also opens up opportunities to rethink specifications and explore lower-impact alternatives from the outset. And this transparency doesn’t stop with us. By handing over these profiles to our clients, we give them clear visibility and ownership of what has been installed to empower them to make responsible decisions when it comes to the maintenance and removal of materials.
For more information on our sustainability strategy and other sustainable projects we have coming up in 2025, contact Structure Tone London’s Head of Sustainability, Nicola Forest, at nicola.forest@structuretone.co.uk.Go to mailto:nicola.forest@structuretone.co.uk