Laura Brandt

Laura Brandt, mechanical technical manager at Henderson Engineers, is one of the first 64 individuals globally to earn the Certified Decarbonization Professional (CDP) certification from ASHRAE, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers. The CDP validates her expertise to “assess, analyze, and develop effective and sustainable strategies that reduce/eliminate the life-cycle carbon footprint of new and existing buildings.”

A 17-year industry veteran who has been with Henderson since 2015, Brandt was among the first group of professionals worldwide to pursue the CDP, which was launched in mid-2024 and is already the most in-demand credential administered by ASHRAE. The certification program analyzes a variety of sustainability-related competencies including decarbonization drivers, project planning and development, construction and renovation, passive and active efficiency, facility management, and distributed energy resources.

“Achieving the building industry’s ambitious sustainability goals begins at the individual level, and Laura’s commitment to her proficiency is the sort of leadership necessary to make a dent in climate change,” said Brian Alessi, sustainability director at Henderson. “The CDP certification is an important tool in ensuring engineers and designers are equipped with the knowledge to guide clients toward the most sustainable design solutions. We’re proud to have one of the first certified professionals within the walls of Henderson to continue building our culture of sustainable design. Congratulations to Laura on this incredible achievement and we can’t wait to see the positive impact she’ll continue to have on the built environment.”

Brandt’s CDP certification aligns with her responsibility as the sustainability facilitator for Henderson’s Community Sector, where she works closely with Alessi to spearhead sustainable and regenerative design principles. Some of the projects she’s been a part of involve decarbonization retrofit studies, where she helps audit existing buildings for opportunities to boost efficiencies, lessen carbon emissions, and improve operational costs.

“With our building stock responsible for nearly 40% of global carbon emissions, the architecture, engineering, and construction industry has a lot of work to do to set us on the right path to meet our decarbonization goals as a society,” said Brandt. “I’m eager to continue applying the skills assessed by the CDP to enable our clients and Henderson achieve a brighter, cleaner future.”

Professional certifications like the CDP fit squarely into big picture sustainability initiatives that Henderson is pursuing companywide. The firm is a signatory of the MEP 2040 Challenge, a commitment among firms that provide MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) and other related design services to achieve net zero carbon on their projects by 2040. This is in addition to the Henderson 2040 Climate Pledge, a pledge to be net zero carbon across its business operations by 2040.