Greener business property will help UK meet carbon reduction goal

Friday, March 26, 2010

Making business property more energy efficient will prove important for reducing the UK's carbon emissions, the Environment Agency has said.

By Ashley Brunskill

Green facilities management at business property will prove essential for allowing the UK to meet its carbon reduction targets.

By 2050, the British government wants the country's greenhouse gas emissions to be reduced by at least 80 per cent from 1990 levels.

The Environment Agency said public sector offices, hotels, shops and restaurants could make further cuts to their carbon emissions with minimal facilities management investment.

One incentive is the Carbon Reduction Commitment, which comes into force in two weeks.

Organisations with commercial property that has high energy consumption levels will have to become more efficient.

Head of climate change and sustainable development at the Environment Agency Tony Grayling said for those organisations "where most of the energy used goes towards running inefficient buildings - shops and offices for example - there are some very simple things that can be done that will reduce energy use almost overnight and give big cost savings".

The Environment Agency also reminded certain companies not to forget their responsibilities under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations.

Source: ask-re The Property People LLP