HED unlocks 80% more emissions insight with Greenplaces

The challenge: a 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. 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. Accurate carbon accounting requires technical knowledge of emissions factors, boundary-setting, and framework alignment. HED needed external expertise to do it right.

The Greenplaces approach

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.

Structured data collection and hotspot identification. Greenplaces implemented repeatable, structured data collection processes 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 the GHG Protocol and reviewed by Greenplaces' senior technical staff to ensure accuracy, auditability, and defensibility.

The results

HED's partnership with Greenplaces fundamentally changed how HED manages and communicates its environmental performance. 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

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.