Brief
Builders aiming for a greener future need to embrace an outcomes-based strategy that uses data to point the way to their goals, writes JLL Technologies’ Ramya Ravichandar. It’s also important to implement tech-enabled solutions and “make real-time adjustments that reduce emissions, use resources more efficiently and optimize environmental and economic performance,” all of which can prove profitable in the longer term, Ravichandar writes.
Insight
Turning sustainability ambition into action begins with buildings. The built environment is the single largest emitter of carbon, ahead of even transportation and agriculture. In fact, nearly 40% of the world’s carbon emissions come from commercial real estate, with the industry’s total footprint expected to double by 2060.
Yet despite real estate’s outsized environmental impact, the built environment receives only 5% of climate tech investments. It remains an untapped opportunity for companies looking to meet sustainability targets.
Most companies have yet to forge a strategy that connects their building operations and their long-term climate goals. Technology will be the answer for businesses to reach net-zero moving forward, from developing a strategic plan to adopt efficiency improvements, to replacing legacy systems with smarter, greener ones.
Creating a sustainability action plan
Green buildings have been a part of the global consciousness for decades — from the formation of the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) in 1993 to rate the sustainability of buildings, to the WorldGBC Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment in 2018 calling on the building and construction sector to decarbonize the built environment.
However, with outdated energy and equipment operations continuing to hinder progress, not enough companies have a clear roadmap to green their buildings and get their real estate to net-zero carbon emissions.The first step companies need to take is implementing a data-driven, outcomes-based approach to inform their goals and longer-term strategy.
Companies will likely have to evaluate their monthly utility bill expenses, energy usage, equipment efficiency, water consumption, recycled waste versus landfill waste, and carbon emissions to create a baseline.
Related Sources:
Recent Comments