Reducing Building Emissions: Facility Management and the Rising Call for Accountability

As the world is dealing with the challenges of climate change, businesses are starting to recognize the need to reduce their carbon footprint. Buildings account for 40% of the world's emissions, with 70%-80% of these emissions resulting from day-to-day operations. The management of emissions produced by buildings is one area where facility management teams can make considerable progress.?

Facility Management’s Crucial Role in Emission Reduction

Facility management (FM) holds the key to reducing Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions in the built environment, which are within an organization's control. FM companies bear a great responsibility to actively reduce carbon emissions, as they manage buildings and assets on a day-to-day basis. The property owners and leaders can only set Net zero goals for a sustainable future but the work has to be done by FM companies who manage their buildings and assets. In this article, we will look at why facility management companies should lead the way in reducing these emissions, the challenges they face, the expectations they must meet, and the innovative strategies they can adopt to contribute to emission reduction.

Addressing HVAC Emissions

HVAC systems form an essential component of a building's energy consumption and emissions profile. These systems are responsible for heating, cooling, and ventilation and can account for 30-40% of a building's total energy consumption and emissions. Their contribution to total building emissions cannot be overlooked. As facility managers strive for sustainability, addressing HVAC systems becomes a top priority.?

HVAC systems become less effective and lose efficiency as they age, thus increasing energy consumption over time. Retrofitting old and inefficient HVAC systems can fix part of the problem and increase their lifespan. However, the focus must also shift to efficient maintenance. Innovative solutions such as remote monitoring and predictive maintenance can help minimize their environmental footprint and optimize these systems.

Driving Change: Asset Owners and Investors' Sustainability Goals?

As the world moves towards a more sustainable future, asset owners and investors are setting ambitious net-zero targets for their properties. It is crucial to be environmentally responsible because it impacts an organization's image and reputation. With their investments at stake, they are becoming more conscious of the need for accountability in facility management companies. Facility managers are expected to align their strategies with these goals, driving change from within to meet the rising demand for green buildings.

Rising Expectations for FM Accountability

Basic measures are no longer enough to tackle the climate crisis. Facility management companies must rise to the challenge and take bold steps to reduce building emissions. With increasing expectations, they must continuously seek innovative solutions, integrate green technologies, and actively participate in emission reduction programs. Their actions have a direct impact on the overall success of building sustainability.?

In response to new sustainability standards, net-zero has become a business demand. Only a handful of FM professionals view net zero as an opportunity to increase value for their clients. Till now the focus of most FM companies has been on lowering costs, but now they have to show their clients that leveraging technology can not only lower costs but also drive energy efficiency and emission reduction. They have to emerge as proactive partners in achieving sustainability targets.

Rising to the Challenge: Facility Manager’s Role

Facility managers are the linchpin in the battle against building emissions, with the important responsibility of reducing a building's carbon footprint by implementing sustainable practices. The goals are determined by asset owners, but it is the responsibility of facility managers to leverage technology and find solutions to emission reduction.

From optimizing HVAC systems to managing energy consumption, they are at the forefront of sustainability efforts. Their decisions and actions have a direct impact on the overall environmental impact of a building. Technology is going to be their most powerful weapon against emissions and increasing energy consumption. It is vital for facility managers to continuously upskill and become an integral part of the digital era.

Shaping a Greener Future: Implementing Comprehensive Sustainability Plans

Facility managers must implement comprehensive sustainability plans in order to achieve significant emission reductions. This involves adopting innovative strategies and technological solutions that focus on reducing building emissions. They must consider the long-term environmental impacts of their plans and initiatives. Some of the essential steps include:?

1. Facility managers should prioritize energy efficiency by retrofitting older, inefficient equipment with modern, energy-efficient alternatives.?
2. Platforms such as BMS and CMMS are often underutilized. They provide valuable data on energy consumption, operational efficiency, and maintenance schedules. Facility managers can identify energy-saving opportunities, optimize equipment usage, and make informed decisions to minimize emissions by analyzing this data.?
3. CMMS systems store historical and real-time data on equipment performance, maintenance schedules, and repair history. Implementing predictive maintenance based on data analysis from CMMS and operational data from systems like Building Management Systems (BMS) helps optimize equipment performance, reduce downtime, and minimize energy waste.
4. Integrating smart building technologies and platforms, such as IoT sensors, energy management systems, and analytics tools, will aid in the monitoring, control, and optimization of building systems, opening up new prospects for energy efficiency and emission reduction.

By focusing on improved operations and maintenance, buildings can optimize their energy consumption, reduce costs, and lower both scope 1 and scope 2 emissions, contributing to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly and sustainable built environment.

For this change to occur, Facility Management companies have to take responsibility and lead the way in reducing emissions. Facility managers have to continuously upskill themselves and their O&M teams to work in a data-first environment. To drive a sustainable and net zero future, they have to embrace digital transformation and leverage technology for their benefit.

With?Xempla - Decision Support System for Enterprise Asset Management, teams are digitally transforming and making better decisions across FM, Asset Operations, and Maintenance to reduce emissions and accelerate the transition to Net Zero. Ping me on?LinkedIn?to start the conversation (transformation)!??

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