Muscat: CRTKL, a global cultural agency specialising in architecture, planning and design, has released an industry-leading annual sustainability report, pledging that all projects will answer the universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030.
CRTKL is committed to the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and recognises that action in one area will affect outcomes in others, and that development must balance social, economic and environmental sustainability. Sustainable development is summarised as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Preeti Mogali, Associate at CRTKL commented: “We are pleased to see the adoption of the SDG’s in Omani spatial policy and we are committed to collaboration with stakeholders to provide reliable and sustainable solutions to the biggest challenges facing the country today. The Oman National Spatial Strategy is bold and ambitious and the built environment will be significant in solving complex challenges as buildings are currently responsible for 40 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions.”
CRTKL is committed to efficiently using resources in projects, providing for both immediate needs as well as long-term benefits to support all life on this planet and contribute to safe and affordable access to varied human needs in the community. CRTKL has implemented climate neutral operations since 2020, building on successes each year, and has pledged that all projects will be climate positive for operation by 2030. CRTKL is mitigating the environmental impact of design projects as buildings consume 50% of global materials and contribute to approximately half of global solid waste.
The upcoming major UN-led environmental events in the Arab World, COP 27 in Egypt and COP 28 in UAE, showcase the importance of SDGs for public and private stakeholders to build a healthy and prosperous future for the region. As momentum builds to build back better and support long-term growth, CRTKL is embedding sustainability in projects to protect the planet, improve health and increase resilience.
The annual sustainability report outlines the seven SDGs most applicable to CRTKL operations and the positive action taken in advance of the landmark UN events. These include good health and well-being, quality education, gender equality, decent work and economic growth, reduced inequalities and a commitment to working in partnership for the goals.
CRTKL will continue to take climate action, support the development of sustainable cities and responsible consumption. The company is transparently tracking carbon calculations using the GHG Protocol, developed by the World Resources Institute and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, and is the world’s most widely used greenhouse gas accounting standard. Successes in 2021 for CRTKL includes a reduction of electricity footprint by more than 30 per cent, largely based on right-sizing selected office spaces based on hybrid work models and a paper carbon footprint reduction by over 60% based on reduced paper usage as digital communication became fully embedded.
To inform radical solutions to Oman’s most pressing challenges, CRTKL launched CLIMATESCOUT – a new, first-of-its-kind, opensource platform that helps its users design buildings that uniquely respond to a site by providing climate-specific design advice at the building scale. It pairs the Köppen-Geiger climate classification and building design strategies from Architecture 2030’s Palette with CLIMATESCOUT among Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas for 2022.