International. Johnson Controls released the results of a new study that surveyed nearly 3,500 building owners and operators in 25 countries and 18 industries.
The company conducted this research with Forrester Consulting to identify immediate opportunities and needs in the progress towards meeting sustainability commitments.
Thus, they managed to conclude that buildings account for 40% of global emissions, making the decarbonization of the built environment one of the fastest ways to reach net zero emissions globally, becoming an essential factor for many companies with carbon reduction goals for 2030.
"For leaders looking to move quickly on their path to net-zero emissions and achieve global carbon reduction, buildings are the key enabler. There are already solutions that can digitize a building's systems to accelerate the energy transition and create positive cash flow. These are immediate solutions we can adopt as we respond to a changing climate and reduce carbon emissions," said Johnson Controls President and CEO George Oliver.
The study shows that the surveyed population considers sustainability as one of their top three business priorities. Among decision-makers on sustainability initiatives (a subset of 1,500 respondents), two-thirds reported being on track to meet their carbon reduction targets, while the remaining third said they need to work harder to reach net-zero targets by 2030.
In addition, 69% of respondents reported that smart buildings are important in helping organizations accelerate their sustainability initiatives and that adding or upgrading digital building automation to optimize energy use is among the most impactful areas of sustainability investment.
74% of leaders are looking for partners who can provide a digital platform across sites and use cases, while 67% would like it to be easy to use across cross-departmental teams and 70% consider it desirable to be integrated into all building systems.
"Companies are aggressively pursuing their net-zero goals, but they are also actively seeking partners to help accelerate those efforts. Working with partners to rapidly implement smart building technology not only reduces waste but strengthens the bottom line," said Katie McGinty, vice president and chief sustainability officer and external relations at Johnson Controls.
