About

ASLA 2024 Business Operations Assessment

ASLA released the second annual assessment of the greenhouse gas emissions generated by its business operations. The organization achieved its goal of a 20 percent reduction in its greenhouse gas emissions by 2024 and continued to make progress towards its goal of zero emissions by 2040.
  
The assessment details the amounts and sources of greenhouse gas emissions generated in 2024 by ASLA operations. This total includes electricity use, magazine printing and shipping, business travel, employee commuting, waste produced, and more. In total, these emissions add up to 257 metric tonnes.

This 2024 assessment was developed in partnership with Honeycomb Strategies, a sustainability consulting company. The company and ASLA team cooperated to collect extensive and complete data:

• monthly business travel and commuting data,
• energy used and waste generated from the ASLA Center for Landscape Architecture, the organization’s LEED Platinum- and Well Gold-certified headquarters, and
• printing, shipping, and online use data for Landscape Architecture Magazine (LAM).

 
Scope 1 emissions: 0
Direct emissions by ASLA

Scope 2 emissions: 34.4 tonnes
Indirect emissions from purchasing electricity, etc

Scope 3 emissions: 222 tonnes
Indirect emissions from all other goods and services purchased, travel, etc

Of the total 257 metric tonnes, the ASLA headquarters emitted 74 tonnes, or 29 percent, and LAM emitted 183 tonnes, or 71 percent.

Top Emissions Categories

Landscape Architecture Magazine 

The assessment for LAM covered the creation and online use of the magazine. By requesting extensive emissions data, ASLA introduced new carbon estimation and measurement practices to its partners. These kinds of requests encourage greater transparency and efficiency in the printing supply chain.

LAM Print Magazine Distribution

These calculations are based on:

• Weight of each issue
• Number of issues mailed
• Location of distribution centers
• Location of print magazine subscribers in the U.S., Canada, and overseas

LAM Printing

To ensure environmentally responsible sourcing, LAM is printed on Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified paper and contains a minimum of 10 percent post-consumer waste.

ASLA Center Emissions

The calculations for the Center’s emissions included such factors as electricity use, employee commuting, and business travel.

Energy 
 
In 2024, the Center used 112,827 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity or 8.9 kWh per square foot – substantially below the 16.9 kWh average annual electricity consumption per square foot for administrative office space, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). ASLA updated its renewable energy purchasing agreement, yielding a 34 percent decrease in energy use and a 19 percent decrease in emissions from 2023. 

Travel 

• ASLA employees commuted to the office 2,761 times, covering 55,700 miles.
  • 40 percent of trips by car, a decrease from 69 percent in 2023 
  • 52 percent by public transit (train, subway, bus), an increase from 27 percent in 2023 
  • 6 percent by foot or bike, an increase from 4 percent in 2023 
   
• ASLA employees traveled 90,000 miles on business trips
  • 92 percent of trips by plane, down from 95 percent in 2023 
   
• ASLA produced an estimated 7,280 pounds of waste
  • 71 percent of waste went to the landfill and 29 percent was recycled
   

Web
 
LAM digital and ASLA.org emissions are based on:

• Number of users
• Time spent reading online content
• Average emissions from users’ home / office energy use (per minute)

Waste

In 2024, ASLA produced an estimated 7,280 pounds of waste. 71 percent of waste went to the landfill and 29 percent was recycled.
  
2024 Reduction Actions

As the 2024 data was collected, ASLA implemented new strategies to reduce emissions:

• Purchased 100 percent renewable energy for the ASLA Center. 
• Promoted benefits and incentives for low-carbon commuting.
• Encouraged train for business travel. 
• Reduced number of complimentary industry partner subscription copies of Landscape Architecture Magazine. 

Building energy use

Purchased 100 percent renewable energy to cover the ASLA Center’s energy use

LAM 

• Reduced complimentary industry partner subscriptions by 60 percent.
• Partnered with Royle Printing, which:
  • Purchases 24 percent of its power from renewable sources
  • Is enrolled in the city of Sun Prairie’s “Power Wise” Energy Efficiency Program
  • Partners with Midland Paper, which completed the EcoVadis and Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) assessments
  • Partners with Billerud Paper, which assessed their activities through the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and identified six focus areas where they can have the most impact
   

Employee commuting and business travel

• Promoted SmarTrip Metro and bike share benefits, biking and walking incentives, and developed a new carpooling incentive.
• Provided five dedicated bike parking spots at ASLA Center.
• Initiated discussion with the D.C. government on installing a public electric vehicle charger on I Street NW.
• Encouraged train travel for trips less than 250 miles 
• Encouraged public transit for business trips when possible and opting for electric or hybrid rental or share vehicles if no alternative (e.g. Uber Green)

 
2025 Reduction Actions 

In 2025, ASLA is on track to further reduce emissions by taking these actions: 

• Continued to promote benefits and incentives for low-carbon commuting
• Continued to encourage train travel for shorter business trips 
• Further analyzed its waste 
• Reduced catering of ASLA hosted events
• Continued to refine Landscape Architecture Magazine complimentary copy distribution list 

To empower other organizations and companies to make these changes, ASLA published Towards Zero Emission Business Operations. The guide is designed to help landscape architecture firms of all sizes navigate the transition to zero-emission offices more easily.
 
It outlines more than 110 strategies landscape architecture firms can implement to reduce their business and project greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50 to 65 percent by 2030 and achieve zero emissions by 2040.

Landscape architecture firms: Ask us about our assessment or share your experience reducing emissions. Contact us at climate@asla.org.