Reaching carbon neutrality with their building portfolios ranks high in importance among sustainability goals for organizations responding to a Honeywell/Reuters survey of senior executives at 187 large, multinational corporations.
Nearly nine in 10 respondents (87%) say that achieving carbon neutrality in their building portfolio is either extremely (58%) or somewhat (29%) important in relation to their overall ESG goals. Only 4% of respondents called it unimportant.
“If we fast-forward to 2025, I believe carbon neutrality will be one of the top priorities for organizations, driven partly by new carbon taxation plans and decarbonizing incentives,” said Manish Sharma, vice president and general manager of Sustainable Buildings at Honeywell, in a news release.
While the surveyed organizations feel pressure to act, respondents seem optimistic in forecasting progress toward their goals. More than 90% of those surveyed expect to achieve carbon neutrality across their portfolios by 2050, while 62% expect to reach that goal by 2035. Only 8% of respondents say they don’t foresee carbon neutrality ever becoming a reality for their portfolios.
Companies are investing strategically to accelerate decarbonization and improve overall building performance. Although respondents noted a wide range of specific efforts, a substantial majority (80%) mentioned on-site energy management system as one investment they’ve made.
More findings from the Honeywell/Reuters survey of building owners:
- Building owners see waste and carbon reduction as the primary business benefit from improving the sustainability of their buildings. Other benefits include increasing productivity, reducing costs, improving their brand image, attracting investors, and attracting and retaining employees.
- The top two barriers to progress in sustainability and carbon neutrality are cost (29.6%) and measuring sustainability progress (21.7%). Others obstacles: lack of resources and expertise (19.7%), convincing c-suite/management (18.3%), convincing investors (6.3%), and "unsure where to start" (4.3%).
Related Stories
Wood | Jul 16, 2021
The future of mass timber construction, with Swinerton's Timberlab
In this exclusive for HorizonTV, BD+C's John Caulfield sat down with three Timberlab leaders to discuss the launch of the firm and what factors will lead to greater mass timber demand.
Education Facilities | Jun 4, 2021
Three ProConnect events coming this fall: Sustainability (Nov 2-3), Education (Nov 16-17), Multifamily (Dec 12-14)
SGC Horizon ProConnect 2021 schedule for Education, Multifamily, Office, and Single Family events.
Wood | May 14, 2021
What's next for mass timber design?
An architect who has worked on some of the nation's largest and most significant mass timber construction projects shares his thoughts on the latest design trends and innovations in mass timber.
Industry Research | Apr 9, 2021
BD+C exclusive research: What building owners want from AEC firms
BD+C’s first-ever owners’ survey finds them focused on improving buildings’ performance for higher investment returns.
Building Owners | Feb 4, 2021
The Weekly show, Feb 4, 2021: The rise of healthy buildings and human performance
This week on The Weekly show, BD+C editors speak with AEC industry leaders from Brookfield Properties, NBBJ, and UL about healthy buildings certification and improving human performance through research-based design.
Sponsored | Green | Jan 7, 2021
A Green Building Solution: Environmental Benefits of Custom Metal Buildings
Government Buildings | Nov 25, 2020
New Indiana Toll Road headquarters creates unified environment for staff
New LEED Gold facility consolidates operations for tollway authority.
Coronavirus | Oct 8, 2020
The Weekly show: Statue of Liberty Museum, emotional learning in K-12, LA's climate change vulnerability
The October 8 episode of BD+C's "The Weekly" is available for viewing on demand.
Green | Mar 9, 2020
BuroHappold commits to all new building projects achieving net-zero carbon by 2030
The engineering firm also launched a long-term partnership with ILFI.
Contractors | Jan 20, 2020
Wellness is for builders, not just for buildings
New research on wellness in the construction sector highlights interventions that could be effective in addressing dehydration, weight management, poor air quality, and stress.
