Flexible office space is innovative, adaptable and responsive and is therefore well placed to support occupiers who want to concentrate on improving their sustainability credentials.
Head of Sustainability Consulting at Savills, Tanya Broadfield, outlines her top tips for flex office occupiers wanting to think more sustainably about their space:
1. Strategy
Develop your own sustainability strategy and determine which issues are most material to you and which impacts need to be accounted for both in terms of your overall business and real estate commitments. This will help you to define your priorities and which metrics are most suitable to manage performance.
2. Green Leases
Ask for green lease clauses. Green leases provide a formal agreement for collaboration and a declaration of commitment by both the landlord and the occupier to operate buildings sustainably. This can include things such as reducing energy consumption, emissions, resources, waste and data sharing.
3. Consolidated services
Support consolidated services for multiple occupiers within your flex office space as it can lead to more sustainable outcomes. With larger service contracts in place e.g. cleaning, it becomes easier to facilitate social value gains such as local employment and integrate higher sustainable procurement standards.
4. Localism and sustainable travel
Allow your employees to be decentralised and work flexibly as this can help to maintain and enhance local connections and reduce greenhouse gases and air pollution from reduced travel. Ensure you encourage/incentivise your employees to use the sustainable travel facilities such and request them from your operator/landlord where they don’t exist.
5. Data
Demand good quality data - sustainability measures are largely built upon a foundation of good energy, water and waste information. Flex office operators and landlords can find it challenging to be able to accurately provide this type of data for occupiers on short leases and co-working. In order to drive action and innovation here, occupiers must start driving change – if you don’t ask you don’t get. Work with your landlord to establish and prioritise what data you can get, which aligns to your own sustainability strategy.
6. Operational controls and energy efficiency
Make sure you understand what is and is not within occupier controls for heating, cooling and lighting. If you have controls, work to educate your employees and encourage responsible use. Equally if you have no control and experience the space being over cooled/heated/lit, report it.
7. Digital Participation
Lack of involvement in digital society through the use of modern information and communication technology (ICT), such as the Internet, can negatively affect quality of life. The innovative nature of flex offices can be a great enabler for digital participation by providing up to date and reliable facilities and equipment. Make sure your employees possess the skills and information to use that technology.
8. Education
Educate yourself about sustainable buildings. You can begin by using the wealth of free resources from the Better Buildings Partnership, the UK Green Building Council and the World Green Building Council.
9. Take Part
Show up and participate in well-being initiatives, green teams and environmental committees.
10. Use Tools
As sustainability/ESG becomes an ever confusing landscape, make use of available tools which demystify. Check out our ESG Checklist for flex office occupiers wanting to make sustainable choices.
