The 2015 Paris Agreement, which the UK government signed up to, set the following goals to:
- Reduce global greenhouse gas emissions to “hold global average temperature increase to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels” to reduce the impact of climate change.
- Periodically assess the progress towards the goals set out in the agreement.
- Finance developing countries to mitigate climate change.
In order to meet these goals the UK government created a legally binding target to “reduce carbon emissions 68% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels – and 77% for 2035” with the aim of reaching net zero by 2050.
These objectives are driving radical changes in the UK building sector in both public and commercial buildings.
The “Net Zero Government Initiative: UK Roadmap to Net Zero” explains that “The UK government aims to reduce all direct emissions from public sector buildings by 50% and 75% by 2032 and 2037 respectively, against a 2017 baseline. All UK emissions are to reach net zero by 2050.”
In the commercial sector the Building the Future Commission reports that “Investors perceive climate change as a financial risk, and companies want to occupy net zero buildings to meet their corporate social responsibility obligations. Developers and the construction industry have risen to this challenge to the point that net zero offices are becoming the norm in central London.”
Building the Future Commission Report
In January 2024, after a year of consultation regarding “The long-term plan for construction” the Building the Future Commission published its report. The report looked at how the construction industry “can reduce its carbon emissions and implement greener methods of energy use and production” and states “what is required most is strategic thinking alongside long-term planning and investment.” Its key findings included the need to:
- Develop best practice and a knowledge hub to share learnings of best practice in the design and construction of early net zero carbon buildings in order to better facilitate future programs of work.
- Regulate embodied carbon (the materials and energy used to produce and assemble resources and supplies) for all new buildings through the Part Z building regulation, which looks to regulate to reduce the impact of construction materials and processes on emissions.
- Facilitate the reuse of building materials when buildings are being demolished (when refurbishment is not practical) through deconstruction audits which catalogue all of the materials in an existing building. These should be “embedded” as “material passports” in the digital model of the building to facilitate reuse of materials either for use on-site or elsewhere. Where materials cannot be reused, they should be recycled.
- Introduce energy audits based on existing NABERS environmental ratings of existing commercial buildings to be used as a benchmark for future buildings with the goal of improving building management and retrofitting.
- Incentivise the refurbishment rather than the redevelopment of buildings to allow the control of embodied carbon emissions.
- Prioritise early design development to minimise embodied carbon in building structures and ensure maximum operational performance in contracts with minimum embodied and operational carbon performance targets.
- Document net zero strategies and processes in the production and delivery of products and services so that the origin of carbon emissions is transparent to promote the decarbonisation of the whole supply chain.
Sustainable London Office Refurbishment
Clearly achieving net zero is important and businesses want to play their part, so when it comes to net zero how can London businesses meet their “corporate, environmental and social responsibility obligations”?
Some of the key findings from the Building the Future Commission for the construction industry to reduce carbon emissions and implement greener methods of energy use and production were to “facilitate the reuse of building materials” when buildings were being demolished, however this can also apply to London office refurbishment projects and to “incentivise the refurbishment rather than the redevelopment of buildings to allow the control of embodied carbon emissions”. Therefore, when it comes to environmental sustainability one of the ways London businesses can ensure their operations and processes do not negatively impact the environment is through their office refurbishment.
Sustainability Objectives
When it comes to your London office refurbishment it’s important to review and decide your sustainability objectives e.g. are you looking at first steps to be greener or are you aiming to achieve an SKA level of sustainability (an environmental assessment method which rates the environmental performance of an office)? The SKA rating comprises over one hundred ‘good practice’ measures covering energy and CO2 emissions, waste, water, materials, pollution, wellbeing, and transport. Once you’ve decided what you’re looking to achieve in terms of sustainability there are various ways of realising it.
ReUse, ReCycle, RePair
A major part of being sustainable is in the reuse, recycling and repair of any materials being utilised in an office refurbishment. It’s therefore important to understand when and how existing furniture, fixtures and fittings can be reused, recycled, or repaired e.g., glass partitioning, fire doors, office kitchen units and reception desks can be reused; wooden reception desks, panelling and shelving can be given a new lease of life by using paint or vinyl. Upholstered furniture can be reupholstered if the existing fabric is worn or no longer matches the office branding. Carpet tiles that no longer fit the office look could be recycled through the original manufacturer.
It’s also important to consider what new products to use in your refurbishment. Using products that have good sustainability credentials will help to ensure the sustainability of your office e.g., utilising natural materials like stone and wood in office furniture, flooring, doors, and counter tops etc. as they tend to be more durable so will last longer and won’t need to be replaced as quickly. Wood products which have the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) credential, or the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) demonstrate how they have been sustainably sourced and maintained.
You should also understand how to “sustainably” dispose of the old office materials being removed from your chosen building space. All materials that are being stripped out need to be handled and disposed of correctly. An example of good practice would be to send any wooden flooring that is removed to a reclamation yard to be reused rather than send it to landfill.
Energy Efficiency
In order to be sustainable, you need to look at energy efficiency. To make your office as energy efficient as possible you need to look at reducing your energy consumption. This can be achieved in several ways including utilising natural light in your office design and layout which will help to reduce the amount of artificial light that’s then required throughout your office space. Wherever artificial light is required use low energy LED lighting systems which are more energy efficient.
You should also incorporate smart technology to help decrease energy consumption including the use of smart sensors which can control and monitor light usage and smart meters which can be used to track and control heating, ventilation, and air conditioning settings to ensure that the system uses the minimum energy to achieve the maximum performance.
Today’s air conditioning systems use between 30-50% less energy to maintain a buildings temperature than those air conditioners made in the 1970s. Even if your current system is less than 10 years old replacing it could save you between 20-40% in energy costs.
Updating equipment such as printers and multi-functional devices to newer more energy efficient models can help to cut energy consumption by as much as 30%.
Move To Digital
Use only recycled paper and where possible print less or go completely “paperless” by moving to digital only copies of your documents to cut down on the amount of paper you use within your business will improve your sustainability, improve efficiency and save you money.
Health and Wellbeing
Consider incorporating plants into the office through living walls (or green walls), floor standing plants and wall partitions. Not only are plants sustainable but they help to bring the outside inside which bring a host of benefits including improving health and wellbeing through stress reduction, reducing absence leave, increasing productivity and improving air quality by reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the air.
A good energy efficient air conditioning system should be part of an office design, to provide a consistent and controllable stream of air within the workplace.
Buy Local
Wherever possible use local suppliers for all or as much of your needs as you can. Doing this will help to cut your carbon emissions as you minimise the length of the supply chain and shorten the goods transportation distance.
Hire A Sustainable Office Refurbishment Contractor
It’s important to hire a sustainable office refurbishment company as one of their priorities will be to present you with the best sustainable options for your office fit out. They should also be able to source sustainable building materials and new sustainable fixtures and fittings and recycle old fixtures and fittings as required.
Making Sustainability Second Nature
Having taken the time to make your London office refurbishment sustainable it’s important to make sustainability part and parcel of your normal working environment and to encourage staff to think about their day-to-day work practices and how they can reduce their impact on the office environment. Here are a few ideas to encourage and maintain sustainability:
- Make sure all desktop lights use energy efficient light bulbs and introduce smart plugs with built-in timers to ensure desk lights and other electric equipment is turned off when they’re not being used.
- Change to energy efficient light bulbs to reduce the amount of electricity used.
- Get rid of individual waste bins and replace them with centralised waste bins to reduce the amount of waste you produce.
- Eliminate the use of single use cups and encourage your staff to use refillable bottles.
- If you’re still using a paper-based system, consider making double sided printing the standard practice and move to a paperless office as soon as you can.
- Many cleaning products are bad for the environment. Choose cleaning products that are eco-friendly.
- Look for suppliers who use less packaging.
Benefits of Being Sustainable
The Building the Future Commission report shows net zero buildings and offices are becoming more sought over as businesses look for ways to meet their environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) responsibilities. As well as meeting ESG obligations a sustainable office space will bring with it a host of benefits over and above the drive towards net zero.
Any business looking to occupy a net zero building will need to align their work practices with the net zero goals of the building. The drive towards net zero and sustainability will ultimately mean reduced operational costs as businesses reuse, repair and recycle materials wherever possible, in their office design, rather than purchasing new products, resulting in a more cost-effective solution. The use of natural lighting or LED lighting and the use of smart meters to monitor and control energy usage and the move towards energy efficient equipment all play a vital role in reducing energy costs leading to reduced energy bills.
Being a sustainable business has also been shown to be attractive to employees and customers and can help a business retain and attract new staff and clients. A number of surveys have shown that staff place value on working in a sustainable workspace:
CNBC’s “’Green’ offices in London are over 25% more expensive. But a modern workforce now expects it” article highlighted that “74% of the companies surveyed in the JJL Future of Work Survey are likely to pay a premium for green credentials, with 56% planning to do so by 2025.” The survey also states that around 80% of organisations reported that “their employees “will increasingly expect the workplace to have a positive impact on the environment” while 75% said the same about a positive impact on society.” The article goes onto say that employers may not have a choice [but to invest in office space with green credentials] with many employees wanting to work in sustainable offices.
A study commissioned by Swytch and reported by the Fast Company found that “nearly 40% have chosen a job because of company sustainability”.
In an IBM survey “67% of the respondents reported that they are more willing to apply for, and 68% more willing to accept positions from [environmentally sustainable] companies. 35% of those who changed jobs last year, accepted a job with an employer they consider to be sustainable, while 34% accepted a role where they can directly influence sustainable outcomes.” The survey also found that “of the respondents who changed jobs in the past year, around one in three said that they accepted a lower salary to work for sustainable or socially responsible organizations.”
Sustainable London office design and refurbishment is set to continue to be important for years to come as climate change takes centre stage and businesses play their part in moving to net zero.
JBH Refurbishments, Experts In Sustainable Office Design and Refurbishment
JBH Refurbishments have over 30+ years’ experience in sustainable office design and office refurbishment and fit outs. We can advise on all aspects of your Kent or London office refurbishment. We understand what’s required to design a sustainable office space and carry out a refurbishment to the highest standards. We can provide the right expertise for your project. Contact us via our contact form or by calling us on 0333 207 0339 today for a free on-site consultation.
