Net zero carbon on all projects by 2050? IMEG has a plan
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In this episode of *The Future Built Smarter*, host Joe Payne and guest Mike Lawless welcome Adam McMillan, IMEG's Director of Sustainability, to discuss the firm's groundbreaking Whole Carbon Action Plan (WCAP). The plan represents IMEG's holistic, cross-disciplinary strategy to achieve net zero embodied and operational carbon across all projects by 2050. Adam traces the evolution of the initiative from early commitments like SE 2050 and MEP 2040, explaining how IMEG’s unique structure—unifying all engineering disciplines under one roof—enables a synchronized, streamlined approach to sustainability. The conversation highlights how the WCAP is built on four pillars: educate, reduce, report, and advocate, with a strong emphasis on embedding low-carbon choices into standard practice through education and AI-powered tools. A key revelation is that AI, despite its energy use, delivers a net carbon reduction of 10,000 times its own footprint, making it a transformative force in sustainable design. The episode also underscores the massive carbon impact of civil infrastructure—such as concrete and asphalt choices—and how site-level decisions can equate to planting tens of thousands of acres of forest. With upcoming episodes focusing on structural and MEP disciplines, the series aims to provide actionable insights into real-world implementation of low-carbon engineering. The episode concludes with a forward-looking perspective: while the 2050 goal is ambitious, it’s grounded in measurable milestones, innovation, and optimism about future technologies. The WCAP is not just a compliance framework but a strategic differentiator that simplifies sustainability for clients and empowers engineers with smarter tools. By combining education, technology, and cross-disciplinary alignment, IMEG is redefining how the AEC industry approaches climate action. Listeners are encouraged to explore the plan further at imgcorp.com using the search term 'whole carbon'.
IMEG’s Whole Carbon Action Plan unifies all engineering disciplines under one holistic sustainability framework, enabling streamlined, low-carbon project delivery.
AI tools like Meg are reducing embodied carbon by automating low-carbon material suggestions, cutting design time and increasing adoption without cost impact.
The net carbon benefit of AI in engineering is estimated at 10,000:1—making it a powerful tool for climate action despite data center energy use.
Civil infrastructure decisions (e.g., concrete, asphalt, site design) have massive carbon impacts—equivalent to planting 20,000 acres of forest in one project.
The 2050 net zero goal is aspirational but achievable through phased milestones, continuous innovation, and a culture of education and advocacy.
Introducing the Whole Carbon Action Plan
“We did some simple math. And I would say for our business, for what we're doing, we actually have the biggest opportunity to reduce carbon of any industry that's out there.”
The Evolution of IMEG's Sustainability Strategy
Adam traces the origins of WCAP back to early initiatives like SE 2050 and MEP 2040, explaining how IMEG’s unified structure enabled a holistic, cross-disciplinary approach to carbon reduction.
Beyond Net Zero: The Whole Life Carbon Perspective
“Whenever you do say for a building, you design that building, you use about 20 years worth operational carbon in that year that you're building the building.”
How AI is Accelerating Carbon Reduction
“The total footprint, there's questions about what's out there, but when the factor is 10,000, the message should be let's just go because the net benefit is much higher.”
The Power of Infrastructure and Site-Level Decisions
“It was about the equivalent carbon as planting an additional 20,000 acres of forest wrapped up in the decisions we were making at the site level for carbon.”
“If we had even just a 5% reduction in embodied carbon because AI was able to suggest solutions... we estimated that the amount of carbon we would save versus the amount of carbon the AI used was about a factor of 10,000.”
“We did some simple math. And I would say for our business, for what we're doing, we actually have the biggest opportunity to reduce carbon of any industry that's out there.”
“The total footprint, there's questions about what's out there, but when the factor is 10,000, the message should be let's just go because the net benefit is much higher.”
Hosts
Guest
IMEG
organization
Adam McMillan
person
Whole Carbon Action Plan
other
Mike Lawless
person
Joe Payne
person
Meg
product
SE 2050
other
MEP 2040
other
Laura Hagen
person
Lindsay Chappelle
person
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