Building a case for the zero-carbon workplace

The climate change conversation is nothing new. But, for something that has been spoken about by scientists for decades, the reality of the climate crisis, and the necessary changes that need to be implemented from a business, government and societal standpoint, seem to be very slow in actualising.

With the new decade beginning with not one but two disasters – the Australian wildfires and the Covid-19 pandemic – now seems as good a time as any for the world, as a whole, to move faster towards a more resilient, sustainable future.

Despite the sluggish nature of the world’s reaction to the climate crisis, there are pockets of action – and businesses that are looking to make real, impactful changes need look no further than the building that they operate out of.

Scientists agree that the biggest culprits in climate change are greenhouse gases which cause the rapidly increasing warming of the planet. The culprit behind almost all the increase in greenhouse gases over the last 150 years is human activity. Buildings are part of that – representing nearly 40% of global energy-related carbon-dioxide emissions.

That’s the bad news. The good news is, buildings are a potentially significant and cheap climate solution that have, as yet, barely been utilised.

Research undertaken by Rocky Mountain Institute, a non-profit organisation dedicated to transforming global energy use, found that decarbonisation opportunities in the buildings sector equate to the emissions reductions opportunities in agriculture, industry, energy supply and forestry combined. When you consider that a buildings’ life-span averages 40 to 100 years, the opportunity for long-term, sustainable reductions are significant. Further, The International Energy Agency recently found that by 2050, we can cut 87% of greenhouse gas emissions from buildings by pairing energy efficiency with clean electricity technologies that are already available.

Although less than 1% of buildings globally are currently zero-carbon, large enterprises are beginning to realise the impact that their footprint can have on the planet, and are creating and implementing  sustainability strategies.

The journey to zero-carbon

Best practice strategies have given rise to the goal of the Net Zero Energy Building, one which produces as much energy as it uses over the course of a year. Currently there are only a small number of buildings that meet this criteria but this is becoming more and more feasible all the time.

While creating a zero-carbon business sounds like a complicated, expensive and daunting undertaking, it is achievable with the right strategy – one that involves a wide variety of measures and is driven by a culture change within the organisation. Strategies must include reducing energy consumption, investing in energy generation, investing in transportation and fleet upgrades and procuring from renewable energy sources.  A meaningful strategy can’t be implemented in isolation, however, it requires engagement with your supply chain and participating in legitimate carbon offset schemes

Benefits that go beyond environmental

The benefits to businesses aren’t all altruistic. The planet wins, certainly, but there are also many reputational and financial benefits to moving towards a zero-carbon business. Investors are educating themselves on how climate change impacts their portfolio and are starting to make responsible decisions when it comes to their investments. Customers too are demanding that the businesses they support behave in responsible ways – those that lag behind will be left behind. Employees are also looking for employers that fit their belief system and that they can be proud to be a part of.

The proof that zero-carbon is a win-win lies with the companies that have already successfully implemented these strategies. These include Unilever, Ikea, Mahindra, Rolls Royce and Maersk, to name but a few. In fact, Mahindra’s strategy is so successful that the company is generating revenue of $419 million from its ‘green’ businesses annually, proving that climate action doesn’t have to come at the expense of business growth.

Targeting your real estate portfolio as a key element of your zero-carbon strategy

At Betapoint, we are rethinking how organisations operate and thrive in our new modern global context. Amid growing awareness around the importance of developing resilient organisations, we recognise the importance of targeting the energy footprint of our clients portfolios. We take an holistic approach to help organisations from all sectors tackle sustainability as a journey, understanding that this process often requires a culture change. We support them on their path towards sustainability and responsible behaviours with innovative, cutting edge solutions and pragmatic insights and advice.

Get in touch to find out how your real estate portfolio can become an asset for sustainable, high performance.