AAT’s office move helps towards net zero target

There is now less than one month to go until AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians) will relocate to its new headquarters in Canary Wharf.

From 16 May 2022, AAT will be based at 30 Churchill Place, a serviced office space provided by WeWork, with desks for around 90 people to come into the office on any given day. Alongside a new hybrid model of working which offers employees more flexibility, the move will support AAT’s efforts to become more sustainable and help to accelerate the organisation’s progress towards net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, as part of the Prince of Wales’s Accounting for Sustainability Project (A4S) Accounting Bodies Network along with 12 other accountancy bodies from around the world in October 2021.

The move will dramatically cut AAT’s current footprint of 25,000 sq ft in its current home at 140 Aldersgate Street in central London to just under 11,000 sq ft. The building at 30 Churchill Place also has an "Excellent" rating under BREEAM (the Building Research Establishment’s Environmental Assessment Method), which puts it in the top 10 per cent of new non-domestic buildings in the UK on measures including energy, waste, health and wellbeing, pollution, materials and land use.

Water, electricity and rubbish being composted will be carefully monitored to manage usage and all furniture has been sustainably sourced. Additionally, the building is accredited with LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), which supplies sustainable finishes within AAT’s floor space. WeWork also uses a variety of ethical supply chains, Renewable Green Electricity and a smart BMS (Building Management System) to supply efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning for the building.

The new space has been designed to facilitate collaboration and interaction, with an open-plan café-style area in the building’s reception and a host of meeting rooms for break-out sessions. AAT employees will also have access to a programme of activities designed to support staff wellbeing and team building, including breakfast, yoga, fitness, cooking and Spanish lessons, as well as football and pool tables.

Jannine Edgar, Chief Operating Officer, AAT, said: 

We’re now less than one month away from our move to Churchill Place and couldn’t be more excited. Our new home will help us to be more sustainable and to reach our goal of being net zero by 2030, as well as creating a working environment that will provide an even better experience for our employees and customers. Alongside our hybrid working model, which staff expressed a clear preference for in surveys, we are now putting an increased emphasis on supporting employee wellbeing and working more collaboratively. Our new office will enable us to do more of this, as well as being more agile and effective in a changing business world.

AAT remains committed to constantly reviewing and improving its environmental impacts alongside many other activities undertaken as part of its wider Responsible Business strategy. More information on how AAT is tackling climate change is available in the organisation’s latest Annual Report.