Last week, we led a session at the Workplace Trends Net Zero Workplace Conference in London.
We’re all about collaboration so it made perfect sense for us to share the stage with Landsec, a well-known participant in the first year of CUBE. They put sustainability at the centre of what they do and were the first commercial real estate company in the world to set a science-based target for their £12 billion portfolio. However, despite having reached their early targets ahead of time and reduced their carbon emissions by 52%, they don’t see this as success, but rather as an opportunity to go further. They are using CUBE to raise awareness of their goals, to get buy-in, build momentum and engage tenants as part of a team effort.
It was an inspiring day of speakers passionate about effecting positive change in the built environment, from a call to participate in driving better policy to reducing climate impact in the design, construction and use of our workplaces. We were also encouraged to bring nature in, so we see our place in it, become more connected and care more about safeguarding it as a result.
The three main take-aways for us:
We not I
Change comes together, when we behave as a unified community with a shared goal. This is what CUBE is all about – collective action with gamification to bring the spirit of competition and drive improvement. Occupier-led green teams are the driving force of CUBE, and we encourage them to collaborate and share ideas even across other participating buildings through quarterly meetings. It’s the very definition of we not I.
Now not then
There is an urgency – just look at the latest IPCC report – that we need to act now, not to comply but to go as far as we possibly can.
More companies are focused on net zero goals and sustainability with many now adopting science-based targets. This is going to help in three key areas. It brings responsibility and transparency, it will inspire action, and it will reduce energy usage. CUBE becomes the platform, the tool with which to engage, the fun that helps to change behaviour.
Better with less
We are practically throwing money out the window with the amount of stuff we waste - materials, resources, energy – and we need to stop. Once we’ve done that in the design of our workplaces, we need to then use the buildings as sustainably as intended and to arm occupiers with the tools to do so. CUBE helps – introducing gamification as a route to affecting change and influencing behaviour. It’s a catalyst for landlords and building managers, it's easy and intuitive and you compete against your historical performance with a simple goal – do better! There are no losers, only winners – every gain is good.
It was a brilliant conference and we were delighted to be a part of it. Our workplaces, however we use them, can deliver positive change. And we can celebrate that when it happens, one building at a time.
So, let’s finish with a rallying cry:
As a building or individual company, we can move fast.
But together, we can move far.
We’re open for entries for 2023/2024 – get in touch to enter your building here.
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