Post-covid-19 Era: Buildings’ Health and Well-being
While creating healthier buildings has been an ongoing trend in the real estate industry, the outbreak of Covid-19 reemphasized the urgency and importance of building health and safety. Originally discovered in Wuhan, China, the highly infectious, deadly coronavirus shocked the world. Economies were disrupted, and ways of life were changed. More people started working from […]
Hydrogen Batteries Driving UK Railways Towards Net Zero Targets
Pragmatism and ambition will be key to tackling the pressing challenge posed by climate change. In its 2019 report ‘The UK’s Contribution to Stopping Global Warming’, the Committee on Climate Change recommended that the UK Government should progress its delivery of Net Zero with far greater urgency whilst also ensuring the fair distribution of costs[1]. […]
Massive wildfires in California, the worst flooding in China since the beginning of this new millennium, and the second most active Atlantic hurricane season on record – this is a snapshot of what a 1 °C warmer world looks like. Such extreme weather events have become more unpredictable in intensity and frequency year after year, […]
Net Zero Buildings: Leaders in Energy, Carbon, Water and Waste
A new report from the Energy Transitions Commission, a group of global leaders from across the energy landscape, reinforces that a net zero economy by 2050 is technically and economically possible. The report points to the need for electrification and urges governments, investors, and companies to accelerate the adoption of zero-carbon solutions now. That includes […]
Why is net zero important: As air quality sharply declines in the Pacific Northwest, and the Southeast faces repeated flooding from an already active hurricane season, we see glimpses of climate change exacerbating natural disasters. The globe has already warmed by about 1°C, creating moderate risk from climate change under certain forecasted scenarios. According to […]
The connection between climate change and extreme weather is increasingly evident with the expansive wildfires in the Western United States, serving as a grim preview of what a 2°C+ warmer world could look like. Climate data shows that the world has already warmed on average by just over 1°C since preindustrial times and our current […]
Understanding the target for zero carbon emissions by 2050 and taking action in the future
These days, we do not have to prove the importance of including ESG (environmental, social, and governance) criteria in Real Estate Companies’ overall business strategy, whether that is to send a positive message to investors or to properly satisfy the expectations of stakeholders, like employees or clients. Furthermore, the real estate sector is responsible for […]
Target Setting and Buildings: Towards a Net-Zero Future
Setting carbon emissions reduction targets is nothing new. Many companies, including the real estate sector, have already developed many targets and goals in contribution to limit global warming. Also, the conventional target of limiting warming to 2oC is not enough. As the scientific community always emphasizes, to limit global warming to 1.5oC, achieving net-zero global […]
“The only thing that will redeem mankind is cooperation.” Bertrand Russell. In the battle against the climate crisis, the term ‘net zero carbon’ (NZC) is ubiquitous. Following many years of increasing carbon policy, voluntary action and international cooperation – as well as public interest spurred on by high profile activism – everyone talking about NZC […]
Net Zero has come into focus in 2020 as the key sustainability objective for many Commercial Real Estate organizations, even with the backdrop of COVID-19 and related economic uncertainties. The reason is clear, with the UK’s commitment to Net-Zero by 2050, this theory has 30 years to become a reality. The sweeping changes required for […]
The carbdown is on! Which net zero scheme is the right one for you?
Wake-up call The carbon clock is ticking…faster than most people think. The Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC) has determined that the climate goal should not be 2050, as defined in the Paris Agreement, but now 2043 because the CO2 budget for staying below the crucial 1.5°C threshold will be exhausted […]
We’ve all read the news – corporations are taking the lead in addressing the climate crisis: BP will achieve net zero by 2050, Apple will be carbon neutral by 2030 and Microsoft will be carbon negative by 2030. You may be wondering how companies choose between pledge platforms: how do they decide whether they want […]
Many professionals believe they are too small to make a difference in the world when it comes to the climate crisis and environmental protection. Do you happen to be one of them? We often deal with managers and decision-makers who only care about the bottom line and achieving short term profits. In many cases, our […]
Target setting for the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment and other net-zero goals
This year, GRESB announced they will align their reporting standards to the World Green Building Council’s (WorldGBC) Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment and increase recognition for real estate portfolios that sign the Commitment. Signatories of the Commitment pledge to operate 100% of their portfolio buildings at net zero carbon by 2030. Your real estate firm […]
Real Estate Developers Need to Act Now to Transition to Net Zero
Climate change is no longer a future risk. It has already become an immediate present-day challenge. Apocalyptic natural disasters and rising global temperatures are essentially calling for immediate action on carbon emissions reduction and for businesses to incorporate climate-friendly practices in their operations. In the real estate industry, carbon reduction is a particularly weighty and […]
‘How to Take a Data-driven Approach to Healthy Buildings and Workspaces’
Every year seems to bring a new global crisis, highlighting the importance of having a truly resilient risk management strategy in place. Here at Switch, we’ve been revising our day-to-day processes to be more resilient in the face of local and global crises. We hear that property owners and managers worldwide…
New GRI OHS Standard Has Significant Implication on Health & Well-being
Occupational health and safety has been given much more attention in recent years, especially after the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic when corporates realized that human resources are arguably their most important assets. Ensuring workers’ wellbeing has become a key concern for many businesses, acting as the wherewithal to long-term sustainability. This is particularly prominent […]
