Join our discussion with Facility Influencer John Rimer on Sept. 13
The Las Vegas show takes place Oct. 29-30. Members receive complimentary Elite Level access
Smart Buildings Help Organizations Reach Sustainability Goals Faster
56 percent of respondents said that upgrading building automation and digital technologies were among the most impactful sustainability investment areas. December 12, 2023
New research from Johnson Controls and Forrester Consulting found that there has been widespread acceptance of sustainability being a business priority. With buildings representing upward of 40 percent of global emissions, decarbonizing the built environment is seen as one of the fastest paths to meeting net zero targets globally.
Nearly two-thirds of respondents said that they are fully on track to meet their carbon reduction goals while one-third realize they need to accelerate their efforts to meet 2030 net zero goals. However, many respondents (69 percent) credit smart buildings in helping their organizations accelerate their sustainability initiatives. Meanwhile, 56 percent of respondents said that adding or upgrading building automation and digital technologies to optimize energy use (42 percent) were among the most impactful sustainability investment areas.
Related Content: How Digital Twins Technology Enables Smart Buildings, Smart Cities
According to the report, technologies that can digitize a building’s systems multiply energy, emissions and cost savings, creating even more net-energy-positive solutions. However, 67 percent of respondents said that it is easy to use a digital platform for cross-departmental teams. Meanwhile, 73 percent of respondents say their organizations lack the technical expertise to optimize building systems from the data collected, while 40 percent say there is a lack of internal skills to measure their environmental impact.
Other key findings include:
- Roughly a third of respondents say they expect AI will have a significant impact on improving sustainability in company-owned spaces by providing them actionable recommendations to prevent downtime and optimize efficiencies before losses occur.
- A third of respondents note their organization would be able to keep their sustainability goals on track if faced with a minor budget cut, while another two-thirds would need help maintaining resiliency of their sustainability strategies. To account for factors outside their control, organizations need strategic partners and technology solution providers to identify opportunities for short and mid-term savings like energy efficiency solutions and water and waste reduction.
Mackenna Moralez is the associate editor for the facilities market.
