6 Helpful Tips for Greenifying a Metropolitan Office Building

When you manage an office building, you need to do what you can to lower your carbon footprint. Fortunately, even in major cities, there are steps that can be taken to make office buildings greener.

Office Buildings Must Be Made Eco-Friendlier to Fight Climate Change

The looming threat of climate change is getting worse than ever. Communities all around the world must work harder to do their part.

Cities, in particular, must work hard to minimize their carbon footprints. A report by the United Nations shows that large cities produce around 60% of the worlds greenhouse gases, even though they account for only 2% of the earth’s surface. Fortunately, many cities around the world are developing sustainability plans to keep their carbon footprint lower.

One of the most important steps that can be taken to reduce the carbon footprint of a city is making office buildings greener. There are a lot of things that office building managers can do to improve energy efficiency, which is obviously crucial for lowering their carbon footprint.

Green office practices help you earn acknowledgment from your customers, which positively impacts public relations. This drives more prospects to seek out your services. Going green reduces energy costs and office material expenses. Some companies struggle to get quality talent for open positions. A green office will raise your company profile, attracting job-seekers with the same values.

Implementing green office practices can be beneficial for your business and the environment. It positively impacts the environment by reducing carbon footprint and contributing to planet protection. Outlined below are six tips for greenfying your office.

1. Use environmentally friendly office furniture

Your office furniture choices can significantly impact the environment and your health. The material used is a crucial factor when selecting eco-friendly furniture. Look out for certified sustainable wood, reclaimed wood, bamboo, and recycled plastic and metal. Green furniture can be recycled and disassembled, is easily fixed and durable, flexible and small, and has low toxicity levels.

To pick green furniture, avoid flame retardants, buy vintage, and purchase locally to reduce the shipping environmental cost. In addition, you can consider relocating your office to a green building using a professional removals company.

2. Use electricity wisely

Evaluating your energy usage will help you determine how well you utilize your energy and what you can do to improve energy efficiency. Turn off your office lights, computers, and printers at the end of each day to lower your energy usage and bills. Set your electronics to energy-saving mode to ensure they go on rest whenever not in use for extended periods. Leverage smart power strips to reduce energy costs and consumption by shutting off power flow to electronics that are no longer in use but still plugged in.

3. Adopt renewable energy

Increasing renewable energy supply in your office allows you to replace carbon-intense energy, protecting the environment. Renewable energy sources, including solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, and biomass, release little or no global warming emissions. We listed seven reasons commercial buildings should use solar, which you should be aware of. Renewable energy systems generate power that has no associations with air pollution emissions, improving employee health. They also produce inexhaustible energy while ensuring stable, affordable energy prices.

4. Go paperless

While relying on paper-based systems lowers productivity and increases costs, paper reliance poses a significant environmental risk. Paper usage contributes to forest loss, production, and disposal pollution. Going paperless lowers your company’s effect on forests, reduces the waste dumped in landfills, decreases energy usage, and lessens the impact on climate change. Consider keeping digital files, not file cabinets, saving storage space. You can also ask your vendors to provide e-invoices and statements to reduce paperwork.

5. Leverage natural light

Overdependence on electric power significantly contributes to pollution. Natural lighting is a vital tool in sustainability attainment. You can use natural lighting strategies to reduce electricity usage and monthly bills. Consider using clerestories, skylights, retractable awnings, and window orientation to leverage daylighting benefits. You can also replace your lighting fixtures with energy-efficient LEDs. This results in reduced dependence on artificial lighting, lowering energy consumption.

6. Encourage green commuting

Encourage your employees to reduce commuting emissions by biking, walking, carpooling, or using public transit to the office and giving them incentives. Embracing remote working policies can also help reduce your office’s carbon footprint.

Make Your Office Building Eco-Friendlier to Fight Climate Change

Going green with your office building will reduce energy usage, material costs, and global warming emissions. Use these tips to greenify your office.