Work shaped by real places.

The Setting

ABC Harnaschpolder is a large-scale logistics-center development at Businesspark Haaglanden. The project team wanted to understand the material-related emissions connected with the building, including those arising from material production, transport, and construction.

The work created an opportunity to bring carbon evidence into decisions about the building while design and delivery choices remained in motion.

The Question

The development team needed an as-built view of material-related carbon, rather than relying only on the calculations produced during design for the Environmental Performance of Buildings assessment.

The aim was to identify where lower-carbon choices could be made and test the final building against the Paris Proof threshold of 240 kg CO2 per square meter.

Our Contribution

Brandon Advisory completed a carbon assessment in association with advisors embedded in VolkerWessels’ strategic development teams. Our counsel supported the project team through the design development and construction stages.

Our work included:

• Assessing embodied carbon across the logistics center
• Reviewing the carbon implications of material choices
• Providing carbon-informed input to the delivery team
• Supporting decisions intended to reduce material-related emissions

How We Approached the Work

We used a detailed carbon calculation, aligned with European standards, to assess the building’s material-related emissions across its full construction cycle. The review covered the production and transport of materials alongside the construction process.

The assessment was undertaken through WiseBrick, which enabled the project team to review the completed building’s carbon performance and use the findings to inform future material decisions.

The Result

ABC Harnaschpolder recorded material-related emissions of 221 kg CO2 per square meter. This places the completed building 19 kg CO2 per square meter below the Paris Proof threshold of 240 kg CO2 per square meter.

The project team reported a 42% reduction in material-related emissions over two years, achieved without significant cost increases.

Related Work

The Setting

Fashion depends on materials and supply chains that connect many different places. Our international client is extremely conscious of their sustainability figures and ESG impact. Their public progress reporting in the past has included work on responsible materials, product traceability, packaging, and supply-chain conditions.

Brandon Advisory has worked with this client since its latest report (2022), supporting the development of sustainability reporting and impact initiatives.

The Question

The client required advisory support to develop its sustainability reporting and strengthen the evidence behind its impact initiatives.

The work needed to reflect the realities of the business and make its sustainability information useful for internal decision-making.

Our Contribution

Brandon Advisory provides support through continuing sustainability work following its latest published report.

Our work includes:

• Developing the next stage of sustainability reporting
• Reviewing environmental impact initiatives
• Bringing evidence into reporting discussions
• Advising on priorities as the work develops

How We Approached the Work

We began with the client’s existing published progress and considered the information needed to support future reporting. The company previously reported an 80% year-on-year increase in more responsible styles by volume, as well as full traceability across its Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers.

Our role is to help connect reporting with the underlying work taking place across the business. We review the evidence behind each initiative and help identify where stronger data or clearer ownership would support future disclosures.

The Result

The engagement is ongoing. Brandon Advisory continues to support this global brand’s sustainability reporting and impact initiatives as the company develops its next stage of environmental work.

Related Work

The Setting

The Smart Fruit Hub is FruitMasters’ new fruit logistics and packing center in Geldermalsen. The 35,000 square-meter facility spans two floors, includes 51 packing lines, and uses a fully closed cold chain maintained between 2°C and 4°C.

The project sits within the Dutch fruit sector, where the relationship between agricultural production and the health of the surrounding landscape deserves close attention.

The Question

FruitMasters required biodiversity assessment as part of the Smart Fruit Hub’s wider sustainability work.

The assessment needed to provide an ecological understanding of the site and its relationship with the landscape around the facility.

Our Contribution

Brandon Advisory carried out biodiversity assessments for the Smart Fruit Hub project.

Our work included:

• Assessing biodiversity relevant to the development site
• Reviewing ecological conditions around the facility
• Providing nature-related input to the project team
• Supporting biodiversity considerations within the project context

How We Approached the Work

We considered the Smart Fruit Hub in relation to the ecological features around it, looking at how the development connected with the wider agricultural landscape. This gave the project team an evidence base for considering biodiversity within the site’s sustainability planning.

The facility’s broader environmental program includes 2,812 solar panels and a rainwater buffer with a capacity of 1,497 cubic meters.

The Result

Brandon Advisory’s assessment brought biodiversity into the Smart Fruit Hub’s environmental evidence base. The completed facility achieved a BREEAM Outstanding rating and has been described by FruitMasters as one of the Netherlands’ most sustainable food-production facilities.

Related Work

The Setting

Room for the River is a Dutch flood-risk program that gives rivers more space through interventions such as floodplain widening and changes to dike systems. The program ran for 10 years and applied measures across the Netherlands’ four major rivers.

Its projects are rooted in working landscapes where river conditions, land use, and local communities are closely connected.

The Question

Brandon Advisory was asked to provide environmental advice on Room for the River-related projects in collaboration with specific project partners.

The work required a place-specific understanding of the river landscape and the environmental questions arising around each project.

Our Contribution

Brandon Advisory contributed advisory support to projects connected with Room for the River.

Our work included:

• Bringing environmental evidence into project discussions
• Supporting partners as project options developed
• Considering each project’s relationship with its river setting
• Advising on environmental conditions around proposed work

How We Approached the Work

We began with the setting of each assignment. River systems respond to seasonal conditions and changing water levels, while the land around them is used by many different people and activities.

Our role involved working alongside individual project partners to understand the environmental factors relevant to each location. This helped bring a grounded environmental perspective into the decisions being considered.

The Result

Brandon Advisory contributed environmental advisory support to Room for the River-related projects undertaken with delivery partners. The wider Room for the River program has shown how flood-risk work can give rivers more room within the Dutch landscape.

Related Work