
Net zero carbon on all projects by 2050? IMEG has a plan
From The Future. Built Smarter. by IMEG Corp.
April 15, 2026 · 20 min · Episode 80
About this episode
The episode discusses IMEG's plan to achieve net zero carbon on all projects by 2050, featuring insights from Director of Sustainability Adam McMillen.
First in a three-part series. Can an engineering firm reach net zero embodied and operational carbon on all its projects by 2050? If so, what must be accomplished between now and then? Answers to these questions and more are discussed in this episode featuring IMEG’s Director of Sustainability, Adam McMillen. Adam has been working with IMEG’s multidisciplinary Sustainable Design Task Force to issue the firm’s 2026 Whole Carbon Action Plan, or WCAP. The 2026 WCAP is the third iteration of IMEG’s carbon reduction initiatives; the 2024 plan—then a structural-only document—was the first in an annual requirement of the embodied-carbon-focused SE 2050 Commitment Program. Since then IMEG has expanded its plan to include MEP and civil infrastructure initiatives. The 2026 WCAP therefore provides a comprehensive strategy for reducing embodied and operational carbon, continuing to align with SE 2050 as well as with MEP 2040, the mechanical-focused initiative. IMEG’s multidisciplinary plan is unique to the industry. “It's one of our biggest differentiators,” Adam says of IMEG’s approach. “All these initiatives are in sync and everything's speaking the same language. We see the Whole Carbon…
People in this episode
Guest: Adam McMillen
Topics covered
- sustainability
- carbon reduction
- engineering
- environment
- climate change
Keywords
- net zero
- carbon
- engineering
- sustainability
- Whole Carbon Action Plan
- SE 2050
- MEP 2040
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: IMEG Corp., Sustainable Design Task Force, SE 2050 Commitment Program, MEP 2040
Books & works: 2026 Whole Carbon Action Plan, 2024 plan
More episodes of The Future. Built Smarter.
- WCAP Part III: The structural trail to net zero carbon by 2050 · May 22, 2026 · 18 min
- WCAP Part II: Climbing the mechanical mountain to net zero carbon · May 1, 2026 · 10 min
- Urban planning sets the stage for improving communities · April 2, 2026 · 17 min
- From scholarship recipient to designer: ‘Every day I’m learning something new’ · January 30, 2026 · 11 min
- Planning early is critical for achieving mass timber’s benefits · January 16, 2026 · 23 min
- Small modular reactors: A potential new power source for industrial · October 22, 2025 · 17 min
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