Property and Facility managers of over one hundred UK business sites have shared information on their current approach and perceptions on preparing for the future — and the results are staggering.
1 in 4 organisations are making an effort to be more sustainable.
1 in 10 have assigned a budget to retrofit their buildings.
86% incorrectly understood the longevity required from current buildings.
These statistics are raising alarm bells all the way to Westminster not only because of the perilous lack of action and incorrect knowledge in circulation, but because of the bottleneck crisis that inevitably awaits at the end of this trend.
This level of widespread complacency is detrimental to net zero targets. The reality is that 70% of commercial buildings will still be in use in 2050. As we approach the deadline, there will be a crisis as emergency measures will need to roll out to simultaneously adapt buildings to required standards for basic functionality.
“Vast swathes of UK organisations are sleepwalking towards a building crisis. At this rate, when we reach 2050, we’ll have failed to reach the government’s net zero target due to the majority of businesses occupying old, inefficient buildings that haven’t been retrofitted. If this problem is to be avoided, a retrofit revolution needs to take place,” said Matt Richards, partner at the firm (Ridge and Partners LLP) who facilitated the study.
How do we turn the ship around?
What is supremely disappointing about these findings is the misconception about the sustainability journey and the solutions that are available. Innovation and technology mean that net zero exercises are extremely beneficial to businesses — the notion that modernising to increase sustainability is a cost burden with no ROI is a myth.
There are, however, businesses in UK that have foreseen the scope for growth and access to lucrative economic opportunities and are reaping the immediate and long-term benefits.
How is a building’s sustainability journey made easy with data technology?
ClearVUE.Business technology immediately transforms a building’s operations and sustainability profile.
Energy usage and emissions are captured using a simple device that provides live reporting to the building manager’s desktop. They are then able to zoom in and out on their entire process.
Underperforming or overperforming utilities and sections of operations throughout the building structure can be monitored and immediately identified. This takes the guesswork out of where to start with any improvements and turns the sustainability exercise into an extremely accurate plan of action rather than a ‘hope for the best’ task that must be done.
Two major benefits that businesses observe and access while using the technology is a) cost savings b) dramatically simplified compliance reporting.
- When buildings have access to accurate data on their energy use, it becomes very easy to design and implement strategy to make savings.
- ClearVUE.Business instantly generates compliance reports in line with built-in UK reporting standards.
Each year the number of UK businesses that meet the criteria for mandatory reporting increases. The conversion factor process is no longer daunting when a business has access to accurate data.
Even so, the sustainability space is a constantly evolving complex web, dictated by market expectations and government policy. To combat this, ClearVUE.Business has created a hybrid solution and has been recognised internationally for this approach.
ClearVUE.Business combines data capturing technology with the expertise of a dedicated team of sustainability consultants. The human element is still integral to demystifying the perception of sustainability — a crucial need, as we have seen from this report.
If you are a business or building manager that understands the role of sustainability for longevity, partner with ClearVUE.Business today.
Learn more about the technology. Head to our demonstration: https://clearvue.business/our-technologies/clearvue-zero/
