Environmental, social, and corporate governance policies have become a critical part of a company’s longevity. Although there are many ways to address environmental issues, flexible offices may provide some of the biggest savings.
According to new analysis from Incendium Consulting, owned by The Instant Group, flexible workspaces can greatly reduce a company’s carbon footprint.
When taking into account the size of a flexible office, these workspaces can actually be twice as carbon intensive than traditional offices. However, based on occupancy levels, conventionally leased offices are found to exert three times more carbon emissions than flex spaces.
More specifically, the data showed that the average emissions flex spaces let off were 11 units of CO2 per square meter. In comparison, traditional offices had an average of 49 units of CO2 per square meter.
The research indicates the way that carbon emissions are measured is inaccurate — the amount that these spaces are used, rather than just the size, should offer a better look into the role that commercial real estate plays in climate uncertainty.
“Greater emphasis on occupancy of space as a metric allows for a more accurate reflection of contemporary office usage,” said Sam Pickering, Director at Incendium Consulting. “And, under these terms, it shows that flex space holds a clear advantage for flex space from an emissions perspective.”
