Coffman Commits to SE 2050 Carbon Neutral Structural Engineering

Coffman is among leading engineering and architecture firms committing to SE 2050 to eliminate embodied carbon in structural materials.

What is SE 2050?

SE 2050 stands for the Structural Engineers 2050 Commitment Program that is in response to the SE 2050 Challenge issued in 2019 by the Carbon Leadership Forum (CLF) and the SE 2050 Commitment Program developed by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). The program is designed to ensure there is a substantial reduction in embodied carbon in the design and construction of structural systems by the structural engineering profession.

Why SE 2050?

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time. Recent studies indicate the construction industry contributes up to 40% of all global greenhouse gas emissions, with structural systems accounting for approximately 12% of global emissions. These numbers are staggering, but at Coffman, we see this as an opportunity to apply our skills, ingenuity, and passion to reduce these emissions and achieve net-zero structural systems. The SE 2050 Commitment allows structural engineers to contribute to collective industry efforts to address global climate change.

Our Commitment

Coffman offers many services across our engineering disciplines that support sustainable building design and operation. Our commitment to SE 2050 is a natural extension of these services and provides a roadmap for the changes we seek to achieve as a firm and industry.

Leading the charge, Coffman’s San Diego structural engineering department has created a formal sustainable design production group to organize these efforts and prepare an embodied carbon action plan which will track our efforts to achieve net-zero structural systems. By working with our industry partners, sharing our knowledge, and educating our staff and clients, we can achieve meaningful reductions in embodied carbon and build a more sustainable future. Our commitment to net-zero structural systems is an intention we will steadfastly set, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we commit to gracefully manifest. The San Diego structural department will lead the effort to expand our commitment to all structural departments throughout Coffman.

Read more: Carbon Impact of Structural Materials by Johnson Jones, PE

San Diego SE2050 Lead: Jim Conley, SE | Principal, Structural Engineering

Learn more at se2050.org