Sustainability

Here at Thomson Bethune we take sustainability seriously, this is not just a tick in the box and we see it as encompassing everything we do and how we do it. We view this as being a progressive initiative and know we have further work to undertake.

To measure and improve our contribution we are developing demanding performance criteria which compare achievements with the highest industry standards.

We have been involved in many sustainable development studies across a variety of projects and our financial advice encompasses both capital and whole life costs on sustainable alternatives as well as offering support to clients in funding mechanisms. Thomson Bethune is continually examining the cost effectiveness of a large range of sustainable solutions on most of their current projects. We find that many clients now take a whole life approach rather than the cheapest capital cost which enables the whole life effect of environmental and sustainable proposals to be analysed and decisions taken accordingly.

What we offer is unique advice through our experience and knowledge of Capital Costs and Whole Life Cost development in relation to renewable energy technologies and their application in the research context. Thomson Bethune provides Whole Life Costs Consultancy to Heriot Watt University as part of the TARBASE research project co-funded by The Carbon Trust and EPSRC under the banner of Carbon Vision Buildings.

We will also provide Advisory Services on construction taxation helping business identify their tax entitlement in the installation and utilisation of sustainable Plant and Machinery. Under Enhanced Capital Allowances (ECAs) businesses can claim 100% first-year capital allowances on their spending on qualifying plant and machinery, which can come under three Schemes,

• Energy-saving plant and machinery
• Low carbon dioxide emission cars and natural gas and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure
• Water conservation plant and machinery

In the majority of cases Capital Allowance calculations on properties are a last minute ‘desk top’ study applied to an already completed refurbished building, often carried out by a consultant who has not been employed from the start of the project. Advice on the taxation implications of the specific form of application for detailed planning consent can often give rise to amendments that can facilitate satisfactory settlement of later claims without affecting the planning application.

View Sustainability Client Case Studies

• Energy Flo, Heat Recovery Systems
• Tarbase, Heriot Watt and Carbon Vision, Assessment 
• Diageo PLC, £100m Construction of a Bio-energy Plant (404)
• Dunfermline High Schools (404)