Diverse Clientele Prioritize ESG and Technology for Energy, Water, and Waste Efficiency


04/06/2024


The essence of human interaction with their surroundings is intricately woven with technology, shaping every aspect of the built environment. At the inaugural Technology Summit hosted by the Property Council of Australia in Sydney, Phil Rowland from CBRE emphasized the imperative of leveraging technology's potential to mold the future landscape inclusively and innovatively.

He stressed the need to enhance industry productivity, foster relevance and inclusivity in places and precincts, and equip ourselves with the capabilities essential for thriving in a technologically-driven society. Today, technology is already facilitating the achievement of ambitious ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) targets by proactive building operators.

Julian Kezelman, Innovation Director at Taronga Ventures, and Su-Fern Tan, Pacific Head of ESG at CBRE, illuminated the vast potential during their keynote at the Technology Summit. They elucidated how technology is actively harnessed to amplify ESG impacts within the built environment. With the growing imperative of attaining net-zero emissions, there is a rising demand for ESG solutions among clients, investors, and tenants across the commercial property sector.

“We help them understand what that strategy looks like and then develop the roadmap to get there,” said Tan while adding, “Take property management for example. I can spend time in front of a BMS trying to diagnose a building and how we can run it more efficiently, but how scalable is that?

“With technology, I can analyse 200 buildings in a day, so it’s about trying to scale that impact. I think the role that technology plays when it comes to delivering sustainability is about scale, data and integration.”

The present clientele advocating for ESG and technology adoption spans a broad spectrum, encompassing both the technologically adept and those unfamiliar with the concept. Their primary concerns typically center around enhancing energy, water, and waste management efficiencies.
 
"Energy efficiency represents the longstanding cornerstone of sustainability efforts, now reaching a more advanced stage. Conversations are shifting towards water conservation, waste reduction, embodied carbon, and ecological restoration. These aspects are intricately linked, interdependent, and increasingly complex, with data serving as the underlying foundation."