Research from Johnson Controls and Forrester Consulting reveals some of the biggest opportunities for business leaders looking to advance sustainability commitments. Buildings account for 40 per cent of global emissions1, which makes decarbonising the built environment one of the fastest ways to achieve net zero targets globally. According to the survey, sustainability is widely accepted as a business priority, and partnering is essential to achieving 2030 sustainability goals.
“For leaders looking to quickly advance their net zero journey and make a real impact on global carbon reduction, buildings are the key enabler,” said Johnson Controls Chairman and CEO George Oliver. “This new research shows decision-makers worldwide understand sustainable buildings are better for the balance sheet and external partners are invaluable in optimising buildings and measuring environmental impact. Solutions exist today that can remove the need for upfront capital, digitalise a building’s systems to provide actionable data, electrify systems to accelerate the energy transition and create positive cash flow. We can all adopt these immediate solutions as we respond to a changing climate and work to reduce carbon emissions.”
Nearly 3,500 respondents representing 25 countries and 18 industries ranked sustainability as their top business priority. A subset of 1,500 sustainability decision-makers report they are on track to meet their carbon reduction goals, while one-third realise they must accelerate their efforts to meet 2030 net zero goals. Smart buildings contribute to accelerating sustainability initiatives (69%), and building automation (56%) and digital technologies (42%) are among the most impactful sustainability investments.
By digitising a building’s systems, energy, emissions, and cost savings can be multiplied, and net energy-positive solutions can even be created. Most respondents have already integrated their building’s equipment and systems to get these benefits. Most leaders seek a partner who can provide a digital platform across sites (74%) that is easy to use for cross-departmental teams (67%) and integrated into all building systems (70%). Partnerships solve two key problems for sustainability leaders – 73% say they lack the technical expertise to optimise building systems from insights collected, and 40% lack the skills to measure their environmental impact.
To learn more about how Johnson Controls OpenBlue is transforming smart buildings, please visit: http://www.johnsoncontrols.com/OpenBlue.