Reaching carbon neutrality with their building portfolios ranks high in importance among sustainability goals for organizations responding to a Honeywell/Reuters survey of senior executives at 187 large, multinational corporations.
Nearly nine in 10 respondents (87%) say that achieving carbon neutrality in their building portfolio is either extremely (58%) or somewhat (29%) important in relation to their overall ESG goals. Only 4% of respondents called it unimportant.
“If we fast-forward to 2025, I believe carbon neutrality will be one of the top priorities for organizations, driven partly by new carbon taxation plans and decarbonizing incentives,” said Manish Sharma, vice president and general manager of Sustainable Buildings at Honeywell, in a news release.
While the surveyed organizations feel pressure to act, respondents seem optimistic in forecasting progress toward their goals. More than 90% of those surveyed expect to achieve carbon neutrality across their portfolios by 2050, while 62% expect to reach that goal by 2035. Only 8% of respondents say they don’t foresee carbon neutrality ever becoming a reality for their portfolios.
Companies are investing strategically to accelerate decarbonization and improve overall building performance. Although respondents noted a wide range of specific efforts, a substantial majority (80%) mentioned on-site energy management system as one investment they’ve made.
More findings from the Honeywell/Reuters survey of building owners:
- Building owners see waste and carbon reduction as the primary business benefit from improving the sustainability of their buildings. Other benefits include increasing productivity, reducing costs, improving their brand image, attracting investors, and attracting and retaining employees.
- The top two barriers to progress in sustainability and carbon neutrality are cost (29.6%) and measuring sustainability progress (21.7%). Others obstacles: lack of resources and expertise (19.7%), convincing c-suite/management (18.3%), convincing investors (6.3%), and "unsure where to start" (4.3%).
Related Stories
Green | Mar 27, 2018
The world’s biggest tropical greenhouse under one roof will be built in France
Coldefy & Associates Architects Urban Planners will design the project.
Sustainability | Mar 21, 2018
LEED v4.1 — a game changer or business as usual?
The largest number of changes in v4.1 affect materials.
Energy-Efficient Design | Mar 20, 2018
University of Hawaii Maui College on pace to become first U.S. campus to generate 100% renewable energy on-site
The project is part of a partnership with Johnson Controls and Pacific Current that will also allow four UH community college campuses on Oahu to significantly reduce their fossil fuel consumption.
Green | Feb 12, 2018
The top landscape trends of 2018
The National Association of Landscape Professionals releases its annual list of trends anticipated to infiltrate residential and commercial outdoor spaces.
Hotel Facilities | Feb 12, 2018
Circular hotel will be world’s first energy positive hotel concept above the Arctic Circle
The hotel will provide 360-degree views of the Svartisen glacier and the surrounding arctic nature.
Green | Feb 5, 2018
Does nature have a lasting positive effect on the mind?
What types of nature-inspired design elements are most effective?
Green | Jan 31, 2018
U.S. Green Building Council releases annual top 10 states for LEED green building per capita
Massachusetts tops the list for the second year; New York, Hawaii and Illinois showcase leadership in geographically diverse locations.
Green | Jan 30, 2018
Welcome to the Jungle: Amazon’s Spheres have opened to employees and the public
The Spheres provide the most unique aspect of Amazon’s downtown Seattle headquarters.
Green | Jan 15, 2018
Revolutionizing the standard green lease
The DOE Better Buildings Initiative has made a bold statement calling 2018 the “Year of the Lease”.
Green | Dec 22, 2017
Green builders can use ‘big data’ to make design decisions
More and more, green project teams are relying on publicly available “external datasets” to prioritize sustainable design decisions, says sustainability consultant Adele Houghton.
