FEATURE : SUSTAINABILITY

Research from Johnson Controls and Forrester Consulting highlighted smarter buildings are key to accelerating decarbonisation goals . As the world races to meet critical climate targets , Katie McGinty , Vice President and Chief Sustainability and External Relations Officer , Johnson Controls , expands on some of the opportunities and recommendations mentioned in the report .

The report finds sustainability is ‘ increasingly a core consideration across business functions .’ What factors have made the difference ?

The survey has highlighted that business decisionmakers currently view sustainability as one of their three top business priorities , and decarbonising buildings is a key component in reaching net zero goals . That ’ s no coincidence – having just witnessed some of the hottest years on record and continued weather-related catastrophes , the urgency to act is greater than ever . Buildings play a huge role , accounting for almost 40 % of all emissions and many leaders are already seeing the potential – transforming their buildings from a burden on the balance sheet to a strategic asset that can not only contribute to net zero goals but save money along the way .

The good news is that the technology exists today to make a real impact . Our customers are living proof of this and are already reaping the rewards through upgrading equipment , electrification such as replacing fossil-fuel based boilers with heat pumps and connecting all building systems across a digital platform . Plus , innovations in business models , such as Net Zero-as-a-Service enables organisations to immediately access the latest technologies without the need for upfront investment . This is a game-changer to accelerate progress .

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