At Active Workplace Group we pride ourselves on being ahead of the sustainability curve when it comes to FM, and in this short article we explore the major trends that we see growing in our client base.
Moving from Idea to Action
At Active Workplace Group we increasingly see that decarbonisation in FM is moving from target setting to delivery and accountability. Facilities managers are becoming carbon managers, responsible for verifiable emissions reductions—not just energy efficiency. The major trend is for our clients to move beyond setting net-zero targets and wrestling with how to prove measurable emissions reductions across their assets. More and more of the businesses we deal with are shifting at the minimum to Scope 1 and 2 carbon reporting, and our bigger clients into Scope 3. That is why Active is happy to demonstrate its own carbon emissions to the supply chain so that clients that engage with us are already ticking a major box in their Scope 3 deliverables.
Retrofit Improvements
With existing buildings dominating emissions, to meet their reduction targets, deep retrofit asset improvement is fast becoming a high-impact intervention in FM portfolios and one which Active is engaged to achieve more often. Significant operational carbon savings can be achieved through fabric-first upgrades such as insulation and glazing and more from the electrification of heating through heat pumps and district systems. Engaging in an organisation, such as Active, with the expertise to achieve these retrofits with the minimum disruption is a key consideration for FM.
Embodied Carbon Reductions
At Active we also see an, albeit slow, move away from our clients choosing the lowest cost option for built or refurbished areas into selecting planet-friendly materials or at the very least, being aware of the trade-off and compromise available in the material options. The number at the bottom of the of the invoice is always foremost when running any business, but increasingly we are seeing our clients recognise that doing the right thing and the longer-term energy savings are important too. Carbon friendly options will come down in cost as more of our clients have the foresight to choose them, so we expect to see much more uptake in the next few years.
The Rise of Smart Buildings and Systems
Digitisation is now central to sustainability outcomes where smart systems and AI can optimise HVAC, lighting and occupancy in real time as a result, Active is seeing investment into digital sustainability rising rapidly and as a business we strive to keep our engineers skilled in the latest tech to support these goals. Active is often required to deploy IoT sensors and predictive maintenance systems for example. Tomorrow’s FM heroes will have a laser focus on energy intensity per m2 and per occupant, but the paradox remains that whilst digital tools reduce building emissions, poorly governed IT increases them. FM must manage both sides. What is for certain is that real-time measurement will eventually replace annual reporting.
Heat Transition
Because power and energy dominate emissions, at Active we see that decarbonising heat is now a core FM priority. There is a notable shift from gas to electric systems and more integration with renewable energy systems such as solar and storage. Electrification shifts emissions from buildings back to the grid and makes grid carbon intensity a critical FM metric. The UK government has a policy target of installing 600,000 new heat pump systems per year by 2028 and many of these will be in commercial estates. We also see more use of load shifting energy systems, that deliver efficiencies smartly.
More Regulatory Pressure
Sustainability is now a compliance issue, with FM strategies increasingly tied to ESG reporting frameworks and investor requirements. There is likely to be a growing requirement for mandatory disclosures. We are also witnessing more ‘green leases’ for commercial property, where agreements between landlords and tenants include specific clauses to improve a building’s environmental performance, such as energy efficiency, waste reduction, and water management. Certainly, FM is now directly linked to asset valuation, financing, and investor risk models in ways that will only continue to rise.
The Supply Chain
Almost every tender Active engages with requires ESG transparency; happily as a business we are well ahead of the curve and happy to comply. This will become common-place for organisations that need to demonstrate low-carbon procurement and the due-diligence it requires with FM moving into value-chain orchestration as well as operations. Feeding into this concept we can see the use of the circular economy becoming ubiquitous. The majority of our client projects in the last few years have, to some extent, leveraged our extensive network of material refurbishment and reuse professionals and we expect this to become normalised into business-as-usual over a short space of time. Falling into Scope 3, an organisation’s supply-chain is for the most part their biggest target for carbon reductions.
Human-Centric Optimisation
Whilst not purely environmental, this trend has indirect carbon impact with hybrid work reducing occupancy and therefor lowered energy demands. FM managers will increasingly look to utilisation data to consolidate space and reduce energy per employee. Space efficiency will be not just be an issue of reducing costs, but also a carbon reduction lever, feeding into the requirement on FM to demonstrate improvements and savings.
Summary
In summary, Active Workplace Group expects to see some major shifts driven by its FM client-base in the next 5 years. In particular, most of the changes we expect are in retrofit, electrification, smart optimisation and supply chain decarbonisation. Whatever sustainability issue our estate managers are looking to address we feel confident that we have the investment and expertise to deliver on their ambitions.
Ready to turn your sustainability goals into measurable action?
Speak to our team to discover how Active Workplace Group can help you optimise your facilities, reduce carbon, and future-proof your workspace.
🌐 https://activeworkplacegroup.co.uk/
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