We welcome opportunities to collaborate with our customers and partners of all shapes and sizes, sharing ideas and innovation. As part of our support for Knowledge Quarter London, I recently talked to members about simple steps that businesses can take to reduce environmental impacts in the space they occupy.

More and more customers want to occupy space as sustainably as possible, which can be a complex and daunting task. Operating space isn’t the main reason most organisations exist; it’s not their specialist area. But it can have significant environmental impacts, so collaborating, sharing expertise and working towards collective goals are important.

For many firms, the buildings they occupy are among the biggest aspects of their footprint. 40% of the UK’s carbon footprint comes from the built environment and almost half of this from energy used in buildings and infrastructure¹. Things you wouldn’t necessarily think of, such as buying new furniture and refurbishing space, can make up to 30% of a building’s lifecycle carbon footprint². 

When Knowledge Quarter London invited us to speak to members about organisational footprints, we welcomed the opportunity. KQ is one of the greatest knowledge clusters anywhere in the world, with members ranging from large institutions such as the Francis Crick Institute and British Library, through to local non-profits such as New Diorama Theatre and Global Generation that we’re pleased to have at Regent’s Place.

We’ve learnt a lot about reducing the environmental impacts of buildings over the last decade, as we’ve improved operational energy efficiency across our entire portfolio by 44% since 2009, contributing to a 64% reduction in carbon intensity. We’re committed to net zero and are looking to achieve this both by how we build new places and by working collectively to cut waste and emissions in existing buildings.

Our customers come in all shapes and sizes and levels of expertise, but what’s universal to almost all is their desire to be environmentally responsible. Below are some simple steps for those starting out. Above all these, I’d encourage every business to ask their landlords what they’re doing, to work with them and push them if needed. The more that customers make it loud and clear they want to see change and be a part of change, the more will occur.

1. Use green energy – or ask your landlord to. British Land does this as standard.
2. Look at low carbon fit out – or ask your design team to. Simply by making clear that cutting operational emissions and embodied carbon is a key objective, you’ll almost certainly get a better outcome.
3. Don’t throw furniture or fit out materials away. Lease items where possible and work with your landlord to find new homes if things need to be moved on. We’ve used Rype Office on recent projects; they can fit out space using remanufactured furniture that’s as good as new.
4. Monitor energy performance. Landlords should be able to help you understand and reduce energy use in your space. Starting points can include installing motion sensor lighting and making changes in meeting rooms that use too much energy. We’d strongly recommend installing smart metering, as granular data can help achieve big savings. 
5. Understand what your facilities providers are doing. Ask them to show their waste management and maintenance approaches and environmental goals. And do follow any waste management guidelines for your building – effective segregation can dramatically increase recycling. Our goals include working towards zero waste to landfill and net zero carbon. 
6. Have office champions who help think about how you use space. Ideally, they'll be from a range of levels and areas in your organisation, not just facilities management or admin. This can provide a good basis to improve wider factors, such as wellbeing and productivity.
7. Maintain your premises – or ask your landlord to. This may sound like the dentist telling you to brush your teeth, but spaces that are looked after: perform better, cost less and won’t need as many things replacing. Landlords should be well placed to run space for you, if you want.
8. Look at fit out certification. For sustainability, these include the SKA rating run by RICS and BREEAM In-Use.
9. Push your landlord if needed! Collaboration is key. Buildings are complex systems and the more we all collaborate – occupiers, owners and building teams – the better the outcomes for everyone.

Paul is studying a Masters course for built environment professionals at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. He has previously blogged on how individuals can reduce their carbon footprints: When do you tell your kids that climate change is real?

^1. UK Green Building Council: https://www.ukgbc.org/climate-change (2020)
^2. Treloar et al: Embodied energy analysis of fixtures, fittings and furniture in office buildings (1999)