Coworking Spaces Can Hit Net Zero Targets If They Follow These Tips

• The Instant Group is urging the coworking sector to prioritize reducing electricity and gas emissions and reviewing operations times, while developing stronger partnerships with landlords.
• Reviewing the supply chain is a medium priority for workspace operators. The Instant Group recommends responsible procurement processes and suppliers maintain honest and fair values. 
• Using data will help workspaces stay on track with their emissions targets, while staying transparent with sustainable efforts.

The coworking movement is today’s working model of choice for a quickly growing population. But as the sector develops into a major real estate asset, the expectation is to create healthy, equitable, and resilient buildings.  

This brings a weight of responsibility for landlords, asset managers, and operators to deliver high-quality workspaces that prioritize sustainability. The U.K. government has also set ambitious targets to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

Advising the flexible workspace industry on future-proofing real estate strategies, The Instant Group facilitated an insightful workshop at GCUC U.K. last November. Here are some insights into how the industry is collectively working towards a greener future.

Net zero targets

Coworking supports hybrid working lifestyles by typically staying open beyond the traditional 9-5. Shared workspaces enable coworkers to come in and out as they please, but longer operational hours may detrimentally impact a building’s energy efficiency.

In winter, heating and artificial lighting stay on for longer, while workspaces are reliant on air-conditioning over the summer. To achieve net zero goals, the office industry’s highest priority ought to be reducing electricity and gas emissions.

“Property owners will need to eliminate the emissions from their existing assets by electrifying building operations so they can run on cleaner energy, as well as making significant improvements to energy efficiency,” details an article published by HSBC. 

Partner with landlords

Workspaces leading the way have developed strong partnerships with landlords, which in some cases is used to negotiate for a green energy tariff. A green energy tariff, as defined by Energy Saving Trust, is where “some or all of the electricity you buy is ‘matched’ by purchases of renewable energy that your energy supplier makes on your behalf.”

Strategies to discuss with landlords include installing solar panels to produce on-site renewable energy, having heat pumps, and switching a gas boiler for electric, as low-carbon heating solutions. 

If possible, workspaces should be designed to bring in as much natural lighting as possible, reducing the need for artificial lighting. Installing more energy-efficient lighting solutions, such as LEDs on a sensor, enables longer opening times without using highly intensive amounts of energy. 

Although fit-out and installation might be beyond operators’ control, The Instant Group advises a review of operation times to meet the needs and wants of the workspace community, keeping sustainability in mind. 

The nature of flex 

By offering a variety of memberships, the coworking model strives to provide a space for many, not just a select number of individuals. Unlike a traditional office, the flexible nature of coworking makes it stand out.  

Coworking spaces typically don’t give coworkers ownership of a desk, or equipment, such as screens, printers, and scanners. These are shared resources, enabling operators to purchase fewer pieces of equipment and reducing demand for fairly intensive manufacturing processes. Some workspaces even procure second-hand equipment from offices that are closing down or via online marketplaces as an alternative to buying new. 

Kitchens can also be shared amongst the community. Instead of designing a kitchen for each office, for instance, operators can provide one kitchen to facilitate multiple companies or community members that are fitted out with a small number of energy-saving appliances, including refrigerators, dishwashers, and sinks. Applying this approach can also help operators and landlords with one of their greatest challenges when it comes to sustainability: cost. 

Space for growth

Coworking spaces can often struggle when members’ companies grow out of their workspace. Some flexible workspaces facilitate expansion by knocking down walls and rebuilding, but building anything from scratch is a big no-no when it comes to sustainability, as the process consumes intense amounts of energy and resources. 

Given that coworking is flexible, many workspaces could offer their members different office size variations so that instead of changing the physical space they support their members to move into a bigger workspace in another part of the building, or to another building within the city under the same workspace brand. 

Social value

After working to reduce energy efficiency in their building, The Instant Group recommends that operators look to improve the sustainability of their supply chain, which they regard as a medium priority for the coworking industry. 

Workspaces should strive to form transparent partnerships with suppliers that exemplify fair and honest practices. “It’s imperative to manage relationships with suppliers in favor of reducing supply chain emissions to achieve sustainability goals,” said one of their representatives during the GCUC workshop. For instance, some furniture suppliers build products with recycled materials and share metrics on the carbon emissions saved with customers. 

Establishing transparent values aligns with the needs of today’s workforce. According to PWC, “70% of people globally say they want to work for an organization with a ‘powerful social conscience.’” This has a secondary benefit of also boosting a brand’s reputation.

In addition, coworkers are typically encouraged to walk or cycle into work. It’s now in the mainstream for workspaces to accommodate active travel methods by installing bike parking and showers in the building. Advising this as a low priority for the coworking industry, but not one to overlook, The Instant Group recommends that operators encourage their employees to cycle or walk into work, too. Some workspaces choose not to provide car parking facilities, and others form partnerships with local e-bike brands to get their entire community cycling into the workspace.

Transparent data methods

There are myriad ways that coworking spaces can improve their sustainability credentials. To stay on track and maintain transparency, stakeholders need to collect and report with data. It’s “integral to gaining oversight of operational performance and aligning with the corporate sustainability objectives of today’s occupiers and members,” explained one of The Instant Group’s representatives. 

Some workspaces track their metrics to help attain credentials, such as BCorp status, showcasing their environmental commitment. The Instant Group explains that “sharing data is becoming even more important for tracking and reporting on sustainability initiatives, as the regulatory landscape evolves, and businesses have increasing responsibility to meet ambitious targets.” Technology software can be installed to accurately track, measure, and report on a building’s consumption and efficiency. 

While the coworking industry certainly faces challenges in making fully sustainable changes, the overall goal should be striving for progress, not perfection.