Climate is right for workplaces that do not cost the earth

Citation

(1998), "Climate is right for workplaces that do not cost the earth", Facilities, Vol. 16 No. 7/8. https://doi.org/10.1108/f.1998.06916gab.001

Climate is right for workplaces that do not cost the earth

Climate is right for workplaces that do not cost the earth

Keywords BRE, CBX, Environment

As the government increases pressure on organisations to ensure that their workplaces are ecologically sound, the Facilities Consulting and Management company, CBX, says that business are now recognising that "green" can be not only more ethical, but also more cost-effective.

Offices are currently responsible for one-eighth of the UK's energy consumption ­ just one of their impacts on future generations. The Government's commitment to putting "the environment at the heart of financial planning" resulted recently in several new measures, designed to encourage corporate adherence to environmentally sound policies. In addition, John Prescott, the deputy prime minister, has recently called for companies to develop "a publicly declared environmental policy and to report on their progress in implementing that policy":

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  Energy use in buildings is responsible for half of greenhouse gases.

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  Buildings have a significant impact on the health of their occupants.

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  The UK construction industry consumes six tonnes of materials per head annually (Building Research Establishment data).

Budgetary measures included cuts in VAT on the installation of energy saving materials to 5 per cent; landfill taxes up from £7 to £10 a tonne from next April; and encouragement through vehicle licensing fees for corporations to move to using company cars with smaller engines. Most importantly, they also included a commitment from the government to consider a new framework to encourage greater efficiency in the use of industrial energy and to achieve reductions in the emissions of greenhouse gases.

The developments confirm the CBX view that "green" measures once perceived by business as a expensive and trendy fad ­ are now becoming an integral part of the successful performance of enterprises large and small. The company is working with its clients to recommend and implement practices which reduce the impact of the workplace on the environment without driving up costs.

Sustainable business premises will:

(1) Minimise:

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  greenfield land use;

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  materials used in construction;

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  energy embodied in construction materials;

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  energy used in buildings services;

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  release of man-made chemicals;

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  natural resource depletion;

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  waste products;

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  maintenance liabilities;

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  occupants' travel burden;

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  costs of sustainable solutions.

(2) Maximise:

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  brown site and refurbishment;

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  the use of recycled and natural materials;

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  technology where it minimises environmental impact: e.g. videoconferencing, not travelling;

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  occupants' health via the environment;

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  occupants' control over the environment;

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  occupants' level of satisfaction with the environment;

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  aesthetics of the environment;

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  recycled consumables.