In today’s business landscape sustainability is paramount with companies across all sectors increasingly recognising it’s significance.

Business owners are now making a conscious effort to embed more planet-friendly practices into their day to day operations and wider strategies, however the physical space they work in is still often overlooked. Whether you are considering refurbishing your current office or relocating to new space there is always room for improvement.

The sustainability benefits of a commercial fit out is, understandably, a priority for all UK businesses and facility managers. Be it minimising energy consumption, reducing plastic usage or upping recycling efforts, workspaces up and down the country are experiencing a period of environmental evolution.

Many businesses are now including their fit out and property strategy within their corporate social responsibility (CSR) and environmental social governance (ESG) commitments.

Your sustainability objectives should be set at the very start of the project before the design phase begins. These goals will not only help to structure the project but also inform your fit out partner, ultimately leading to a well thought out design scheme proposing sustainable design elements that will help benefit your employees.

How can an office refurbishment or relocation help achieve sustainability goals?

If you have decided to relocate selecting a BREEAM accredited building will help to achieve your goals before any works are even undertaken. Relocating to a building which already has recognised sustainability credentials will help to manage important factors such as energy efficiency, carbon emissions, lighting, air quality & water usage. To help you to make informed decisions your landlord should supply energy usage data.

Like where you are now? Perhaps you own your building & would like to stay put, there are several ways environmental performance can be improved. Optimising energy efficiency by replacing items such as outdated heating systems, drafty windows & lighting. Research has shown that LED lights exert up to 75% less energy than a standard lightbulb. LEDs can be integrated with smart systems, giving you options for remote control, dimming, and automation, further enhancing energy efficiency. Swapping to LED lighting has also been proven to help reduce eye strain & headaches improving workplace comfort.

Your fit out partner can work hard to source raw materials with sustainable credentials, for example ethically sourced timber, recycled steel & carbon neutral flooring. Working with local manufacturers & contractors helps to shrink a project’s carbon footprint & invest in the communities where works are based.

Furniture procurement plays a crucial part too, curating a furniture specification supporting your goals has never been easier with manufacturers bringing new & innovative products to the market with sustainability at the forefront. You can choose to reuse certain items by reupholstering them giving a new lease of life, or select items made from recycled materials such as ocean plastics.

Introducing bicycle storage & installing EV Charging points all help to support a green travel policy that cuts fuel emissions and costs whilst offering additional tangible benefits to employees.

Whether you are relocating or refurbishing your space edb’s mantra of ‘future focused spaces’ will help you to achieve your sustainability goals.