HED unlocks 80% more emissions insight

For architecture firms like HED, understanding environmental impact is essential for protecting reputation and improving operations. Greenplaces delivered a complete greenhouse gas inventory, and a foundation for long-term, strategic climate management.

results at a glance

80%

increase in emissions analyzed through expanded GHG inventory

+7

Scope 3 categories added to HED’s carbon accounting baseline

Client

HED

Industry

Architecture & Design

Services

Carbon Accounting | GHG inventory | Scope 3 Reporting

The challenge

Visibility and expertise gap

HED, a leading architecture firm, faced growing pressure from stakeholders, including the American Institute of Architects’ Large Firms Round Table (LFRT), to report and reduce its emissions. For an organization focused on designing the built environment, being accountable for its own environmental footprint was both a values-driven imperative and a reputational necessity.

But effective action was impossible without a complete greenhouse gas inventory. HED’s primary roadblocks were:

Limited Scope 3 visibility
Scope 3 emissions, those that occur across a company’s value chain, are often the largest and most challenging to track for professional services firms. HED lacked the tools and methodology to bring them into focus.

A need for credible, verifiable reporting
Industry stakeholders and clients increasingly expect sustainability data to be defensible and methodology-backed, not estimated or self-reported without structure.

Minimal internal resources and specialized expertise
Accurate carbon accounting requires technical knowledge of emissions factors, boundary-setting, and framework alignment. HED needed external expertise to do it right.

Effective climate action was impossible without a complete greenhouse gas inventory. HED needed more than data collection, they needed a structured foundation for long-term sustainability management.

The Greenplaces approach

Clarity, structure, and strategy

Greenplaces provided a comprehensive, structured approach that went beyond simple data collection. Each stage was designed to build on the last, from an accurate baseline to actionable insights to framework-aligned reporting.

Complete GHG inventory

Greenplaces guided HED in selecting accurate and defensible organizational boundaries, scopes, and category classifications. We built a reliable baseline by completing a full Scope 1 and Scope 2 inventory, then incorporating all material Scope 3 categories into the analysis.

Structured data collection and hotspot identification

Greenplaces implemented repeatable, structured data collection processes for HED and used the results to identify the major carbon “hotspots” within HED’s operations, the categories where reduction efforts would have the greatest impact.

Actionable insights and communication assets

Greenplaces mapped out emission reduction opportunities, delivered data quality improvement suggestions, and produced clear visuals, giving HED’s team the tools to communicate progress confidently with stakeholders.

Framework alignment and technical review

All outputs were aligned with relevant reporting frameworks, including the GHG Protocol, and reviewed by Greenplaces’ senior technical staff to ensure accuracy, auditability, and defensibility for external stakeholder reporting.

The results

A foundation for proactive climate management

80%

increase in emissions analyzed through expanded GHG inventory

+7

Scope 3 categories added, bringing HED’s value chain emissions into clear focus

HED’s partnership with Greenplaces fundamentally changed how HED manages and communicates its environmental performance. A major win was the expanded coverage of the greenhouse gas inventory: with Greenplaces’ support, HED achieved an 80% increase in emissions analyzed, adding seven Scope 3 categories that had previously been invisible.

That baseline data now supports annual emissions tracking and long-term planning, shifting HED from reactive compliance to proactive, strategic climate management. Beyond the numbers, Greenplaces equipped HED with the tools to streamline reporting, enhance transparency, and communicate sustainability progress effectively.

“Measuring the carbon footprint of our operations is key to delivering upon HED’s commitment to Measured Positive Impact toward GHG reduction. Having a partner like Greenplaces has made this process less stressful and more rigorous. I hope to continue our work with them for years to come.”

Daniel Jaconetti,
Principal, National Sustainable Design Leader, HED

The Greenplaces advantage

Complete carbon accounting made easy

The most significant outcome is the clarity and confidence HED now possesses. By using Greenplaces, HED wasn’t simply able to tick a compliance box, they were able to significantly deepen their Scope 3 insights and acquire the communication assets to confidently share their progress with stakeholders, including key industry groups like the American Institute of Architects.

For architecture firms navigating growing industry expectations around climate transparency, Greenplaces delivers a structured, expert-led carbon accounting program that builds the foundation for everything that comes next, from internal reduction initiatives to client-facing sustainability narratives.

Download the full case study