What KLH Sustainability does

KLH Sustainability Ltd is a UK-based sustainability consultancy founded in 2010 by Kirsten Henson and headquartered in London (Senna Building, Gorsuch Place, E2 8JF). The firm provides advisory services across the built environment for developers, contractors, local government, and corporate clients, with eight core service lines: Strategy Setting, Leadership & Training, Performance Modelling, Planning Support, Research, Sustainable Construction, Standards & Certifications Advisory, and Strategic Retrofit. The company operates with approximately 10 employees, is employee-owned (since 2021), and is B Corp Certified.

The firm's underlying technology stack comprises established engineering and building performance tools — Passive House Planning Package (PHPP), DesignBuilder, IES iCD, CIBSE TM54 methodology, and RICS-compliant life cycle carbon assessment — supplemented by proprietary embodied carbon databases integrated with BIM workflows that enable automated carbon estimation through client supply chains. KLH develops Net Zero Carbon roadmaps aligned with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) Net-Zero Standard and advises on certifications including BREEAM, WELL, and LEED.

KLH generates revenue through bespoke, quote-based consultancy fees for professional services, with no public pricing or subscription/retainer products. The go-to-market relies on direct enterprise engagement, thought leadership at industry conferences, academic teaching engagements at Cambridge, Newcastle, Manchester Metropolitan, and Surrey universities, design review panel participation (HS2, Nairobi Central Station, multiple UK local authority quality review panels), and active LinkedIn publishing. The firm serves marquee clients including The Crown Estate, Sky, Google, the International Olympic Committee, Balfour Beatty, McLaren Construction, Morgan Sindall, Urban & Civic, Bidwells, Innocent Drinks, Merit, ZND, University of East London, and Gravesham Borough Council.

Name

KLH Sustainability

Legal name

KLH Sustainability Ltd

Website

https://klhsustainability.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

KLH Sustainability is a London-based built-environment sustainability consultancy advising developers, contractors, government, and corporates on net zero strategy, embodied carbon, energy modelling, planning support, and certifications. The employee-owned, B Corp-certified firm has approximately 10 employees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability Consulting Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainability, ESG & Climate Risk Advisory (BPAHAJAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainability & ESG Consulting (BPAHACAK), Sustainability & ESG Reporting (GRI/SASB/ISSB/CSRD) (EUAHAJAB), Energy, Utilities & Sustainability Management (BPABAAAF)

Keywords

• Sustainability consulting
• Built environment advisory
• Carbon assessment services
• Passive house design
• Net zero strategy

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Professional Sustainability Consulting Services: KLH generates revenue through consultancy fees charged for sustainability advisory services spanning strategy setting, performance modelling, planning support, research, sustainable construction advisory, certifications guidance, and retrofit analysis. Services are provided to developers, contractors, and government clients across the built environment.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

KLH Sustainability is a built environment sustainability consultancy that helps developers, contractors, government bodies, and corporations integrate sustainability across the full project lifecycle. The firm delivers eight core advisory service lines — Strategy Setting, Leadership & Training, Performance Modelling, Planning Support, Research, Sustainable Construction, Certifications Advisory, and Strategic Retrofit — using industry-standard tools such as PHPP, DesignBuilder, IES iCD, BIM-integrated carbon databases, and RICS/CIBSE TM54 methodologies.

Product overview

KLH Sustainability is a sustainability consultancy providing advisory services across the built environment. Their portfolio consists of eight core consulting service offerings: Strategy Setting, Leadership & Training, Performance Modelling, Planning Support, Research, Sustainable Construction, Standards & Certifications Advisory, and Strategic Retrofit. These services are applied holistically and pragmatically to add value across a program's lifecycle from strategy development through to implementation. KLH is not a software or technology product company; all offerings are professional consulting services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategy Setting Advisory service that helps clients articulate sustainability ambitions, set challenging strategies responding to planetary boundaries and social foundations, and ensure implementation through team engagement. Targeted at developers, contractors, and corporate clients in the built environment.
• Leadership & Training Tailored engagement including on-site construction training and leadership sessions to enhance client sustainability knowledge. Includes KLH's role as curator of the Cambridge University for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) short course on Sustainable Real Estate.
• Performance Modelling Energy performance modelling service using Passive House Planning Package (PHPP), DesignBuilder, and IES iCD to establish comprehensive energy profiles for new and existing buildings, alongside embodied carbon analysis aligned with RICS methodology and CIBSE TM54 guidelines.
• Planning Support Advisory service leading development of site-specific planning requirements covering sustainability, energy, sustainable construction, climate change adaptation, water, and circular economy to support planning permission applications.
• Research In-depth research services on specific projects or topics such as sustainable aggregates, recycled content in low carbon steel, and limitations of cement replacements for low carbon concrete.
• Sustainable Construction Advisory support for integration of sustainability into specification, procurement, and construction site management, helping clients deliver buildings with demanding sustainability requirements.
• Standards & Certifications Advisory Advisory on building and corporate reporting standards including BREEAM, WELL, and LEED, integrated into a broader sustainability framework for clients.
• Strategic Retrofit Data-informed approach to retrofitting buildings, from early-stage benchmarking through analysis of monitoring and metering data, aligned with client emission targets.

Quantifiable outcome

• Delivered 1,500 low carbon homes at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cambridge University for Sustainability Leadership (CISL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKLH serves as curators of the Cambridge University for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) short course on Sustainable Real Estate: Creating a Better Built Environment. This is a core thought leadership partnership that positions KLH as industry experts and supports their training and leadership service offering.
• Passivhaus TrustcoreOthersKLH is a proud member of the Passivhaus Trust. The Passivhaus Standard is described as the world's most rigorous quality assurance standard for energy efficient buildings. Membership aligns with KLH's expertise in Passivhaus design and embodied carbon.
• Doughnut Economics Action Lab (DEAL)minorOthersKLH is a member of the Doughnut Economics community, enabling use of DEAL's tools to help clients define and drive sustainability. KLH has committed to sharing stories and case studies with the wider DEAL community.
• Employee Ownership AssociationminorOthersKLH is an active member of the Employee Ownership Association, reflecting their transition to employee ownership in early 2021.
• Radical RecruitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKLH donates time and a share of profits to Radical Recruit, an organisation providing employment support to marginalised and disadvantaged people. KLH also uses Radical Recruit for their own recruitment processes, integrating social impact into their operations.
• B CorpcoreOthersKLH achieved B Corp certification, an external validation of their commitment to environmental and social impact. This certification validates KLH's approach to putting environmental and social impact at the forefront of business decision making.
• End Gas NowminorOthersKLH is a signatory to the End Gas Now pledge, committing not to support projects proposing new gas or fossil fuel heating systems, reflecting their stance on the climate emergency.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Ramboll: International engineering, design and consultancy firm with a dedicated sustainability practice covering buildings, energy and climate advisory. Overlaps with KLH on net zero roadmaps, embodied carbon, Passivhaus and built environment strategy for enterprise and public sector clients in the UK.
• Max Fordham: Long-established UK building services engineering consultancy with deep expertise in low-energy design, Passivhaus and operational carbon. Larger and broader than KLH but competes directly on sustainability advisory, performance modelling and high-performance building design for similar developer and institutional clients.
• WSP: Global professional services consultancy with a substantial UK buildings and sustainability practice covering net zero, embodied carbon and ESG advisory. Targets similar developers, contractors and public sector clients to KLH, with broader cross-discipline capability but less of a Passivhaus/specialist niche positioning.
• Arup: Global engineering and design consultancy with extensive built environment sustainability services spanning net zero, climate advisory, embodied carbon and certification support. Competes for the same Crown Estate / Sky / contractor-type mandates as KLH but at materially greater scale and with a global footprint.
• Buro Happold: Global multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy with a strong sustainability and built environment performance practice. Competes with KLH on net zero strategy, embodied carbon and sustainability advisory for major UK and international developers, contractors and corporate real estate clients.
• Turner & Townsend: International professional services firm focused on programme management and cost consultancy with growing sustainability and net zero advisory for built environment clients. Competes for sustainability mandates on large UK real estate, infrastructure and contractor-led projects that KLH also targets.

Direct peers

• Elementa Consulting: UK sustainability and environmental engineering consultancy providing embodied carbon, Passivhaus, net zero strategy and BREEAM advisory to developers, contractors and public sector clients. Overlaps directly with KLH on service portfolio, certifications expertise and target customer segments in the UK built environment.
• Cundall Johnston & Partners: Multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy with a dedicated sustainability and built environment performance team offering Passivhaus, embodied carbon and net zero advisory across UK projects. Highly comparable to KLH on services, customer base (developers, contractors, corporates) and Passivhaus/whole life carbon credentials, though materially larger in scale.
• Etude: UK sustainability and environmental consultancy providing built environment advisory across energy, carbon and certification. Comparable boutique competitor with overlapping services (strategy, modelling, BREEAM/LEED advisory) and similar client types in the UK development and construction market.
• Useful Simple Projects: UK-based sustainability and environmental design consultancy focused on the built environment, offering strategy, Passivhaus, embodied carbon and planning support to developers and architects. Closest like-for-like peer to KLH on size, scope and service mix, competing for the same boutique developer and contractor mandates.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KLHSustain
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/klhsustainability

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about KLH Sustainability