Erik Boyter, CEO, WindowMaster
ESG reporting has now become an essential requirement for companies worldwide, as attitudes towards operational environmental impact and carbon emissions evolve. Both the public and politicians (rightly) expect the professional world to be playing their part in combating climate change through CO2 reduction as well as showing proof of progress.
Constantly introduced and updated regulations are driving change across the business and industry landscape, encompassing everything from energy consumption and water management to best practice Human Resources and up-to-date cyber security.
It’s something the UK Government has started to take extremely seriously, evidenced by recent legislation. For example, incoming Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDRs) are providing a framework for businesses in the financial sector to better manage carbon risk and improve routes to sustainable investments.
However, a degree of inconsistency remains when it comes to developing and delivering on a robust ESG strategy. Whilst the E(nvironmental) and the G(overnance) are well-trodden ground, the S(ocial) sometimes gets left behind, particularly around staff wellbeing.
Looking after staff welfare should be a paramount concern for businesses, regardless of size. This means a safe, comfortable working environment in which staff can work productively to achieve the best results. One of the ways to achieve this scenario is by ensuring good quality air throughout the building interiors.
However, ensuring good indoor air quality (IAQ) still remains a challenge for many businesses and is overlooked in some cases, to the detriment of the building’s occupants. In the worst cases, poor air quality can lead to a phenomenon called ‘Sick Building Syndrome’ (SBS), which encompasses a variety of mental and physical health issues ranging from stress and anxiety to more serious respiratory or pulmonary illnesses. It also costs businesses a fortune in low productivity and absences.
Going further, just last month, a recommendation in a co-authored article from England’s chief medical officer, Prof Chris Whitty, was for IAQ monitoring “to become a standard practice in public spaces” – amid growing health concerns around the effects of poor IAQ in public interiors[1].
The good news is that a remedy for SBS exists and can be delivered in a sustainable and energy-efficient manner to align with broader ESG goals. Gone are the days when achieving clean air relied on a carbon-intensive, expensive mechanical HVAC system. Innovative technology means that natural ventilation solutions are now more affordable than ever before, empowering building operators to deliver optimal IAQ in the greenest and cleanest way possible.
These cutting-edge natural systems which effectively control the building’s windows to regulate the incoming and outgoing flow of natural air use the minimum amount of energy to operate. This is achieved through smart sensors, which can be programmed to work alongside sophisticated building management systems, on a specific cycle, helping to increase window automation – by using position commands to control groups of windows throughout the building. Keeping emissions down in the process and the air clean.
Going further, the overall system architecture is also streamlined, as the number of components needed can be reduced significantly – delivering performance gains and saving on design and capital for businesses.
Of course, this only scratches the surface of what can be achieved. If specified with a systems-based approach, including a fabric-first structure, even more energy savings can be made through a lower reliance on mechanical heating.
Ultimately, natural ventilation should be seen as a game-changer, as it achieves a happy balance between optimal IAQ and the effective delivery of the E, S and G of your ESG strategy. I hope, as tighter regulation around CSR activity is introduced, we’ll see the sustainable, low-energy and long-term value benefits of natural HVAC become the norm, as opposed to the exception.
