A recent survey carried out by the British real estate consultant Incendium revealed that ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) criteria have become essential for companies renting office space.

As more and more employers adopt hybrid work arrangements, flexible workspaces will play an increasingly prominent role. It is now essential for builders and developers of office spaces to get involved in environmental, social and governance issues in order to attract corporate clients.

The global giant PWC is a good example of this ESG awareness by large companies. For the past fifteen years, the consultant has succeeded in lowering its carbon emissions by 40% and its energy consumption by 60%. To achieve this, PWC reduced the number of physical sites (remember that teleworking was not invented in 2020) and opted for less energy-consuming buildings. 

Agile and sustainable at the same time

Go Green

The asset management company Schroders indicates in the survey that it is increasingly demanding on all issues related to energy consumption, water and waste. “We are audited on this data, so it must be correct. We have owners who can’t always tell us how they get their energy, and that impacts our credibility.“ 

The way in which an owner manages the environmental criteria of his building stock is more than ever intimately linked with the way in which the tenant company and its employees consider their occupation. 

Tags: back to the office., commercial real estate, ESG criteria., Incendium, office real estate, PwC, Schroders