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A couple of weeks ago in mid-November, a climate deal was finally agreed by all world leaders, calling on all nations to set new climate targets by the end of 2022, aiming to significantly lower fossil fuel usage and inefficient subsidies.

As we all know, the impacts that climate change has had on our world in recent years is devastating and is something that isn’t going to improve unless we step up and take action. You may have seen some of our past posts regarding climate change, recycling and sustainable living and they all tie in with what we are talking about today.

COP26 put a spotlight on all negotiators, business coalitions, youth activists, NGOs and citizen’s groups and their actions in Glasgow while an agreement was in the process of being reached. The Glasgow Climate Pact has meant that all nations are required to create and publish updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the Paris Agreement for 2030, by the time COP27 is underway in Egypt next year.

Although this is on a global scale, we can all do our bit to help, can’t we? If we all collectively lived a more sustainable life, the world would be in a much better position, climate-wise.

Additionally, the FM industry can provide all sorts of ways in which we can fight climate change. Much like sustainable living, there’s sustainable working too. Take smart buildings for example. By definition, a smart building uses Internet of Things devices such as sensors, software and online connectivity to monitor building qualities, analyse data and generate insights around patterns in usage. These results can then be used to enhance the building’s environment and operations, keeping in mind factors such as heating, electricity and waste. A building of this kind can help to reduce energy costs, lessen environmental impact and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

But let’s not forget, we can help while at work too. Although many of us have worked from home for quite some time, there are a significant number of us returning to the office now. Doing your bit to help may not feel like it will make a huge impact, but as a whole and in the long run, it will act as a real positive difference for the environment. Things like using office equipment more efficiently can make a huge difference. Rather than keeping your PC on permanently, turn it off when it isn’t in use. The same goes for laptops and charging stations. Even better, you can source energy efficient products for the office, reducing your carbon footprint even more.

Waste management and recycling is also an important one. Be sure to have a recycling point at work to encourage the matter and to emphasise the importance of recycling. Additionally, purchasing supplies with recycled content, two-sided printing and only printing what you need will, as a collective, help your office to become more environmentally friendly.

The possibilities are endless. Just think of the positive impact we could have on our world if we were all to become more conscious of our environment!