By Ian Ellison, Workplace Geeks
Listen to episode two now: The science of accelerating the path to net zero
For many of us, former Vice President Al Gore’s 2006 documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, was the first time the risks of climate change really registered. Gore skilfully used scientific evidence to illustrate the impact of human activity on the environment. These included the melting of polar ice caps, rising sea levels and increasingly regular extreme weather events. It was a passionate attempt to educate and inspire to mitigate climate change. In the intervening years, the need for drastic action on climate change has become clearer still. We all need to act.
Which brings me to episode two of The Science of Service Podcast, hosted by the Workplace Geeks – me, Ian Ellison, and my colleague, Chris Moriarty. For episode one, we visited Mitie HQ at The Shard to learn all about the organisation’s Science of Service approach, which is driving facilities transformation.
In the following four episodes, we take up CEO Phil Bentley’s offer to explore how technology is impacting customer experiences and business priorities. Our guides on this journey will be Mitie’s client organisations, who’ll demonstrate how their strategies have been shaped and driven by collaborating with the UK’s leading facilities management company.
Decarbonisation is good for business
For the second episode we jump straight in at the deep end to discover how technology is supporting Mitie clients on the path to decarbonisation. Much of getting to net zero needs to be shouldered by organisations, regardless of shape, size, industry or corporate goals. That’s because if we don’t all play our part, well, let’s just say we have a serious problem. And the geopolitical and societal stakes couldn’t be much higher.
Our learning starts in the studio with Eleni Polychroniadou, co-founder of environmental performance verification firm, Sintali. Eleni’s expertise is sustainable building certification, and her passion as climate advocate and activist really shines through. Together we explore the risks of greenwashing, and how, with the growing importance of environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG), good planetary decisions always make for good business decisions.
Pumps as deep as The Shard is high
Next, I head down into the depths of Lloyds Banking Group’s Halifax branch with Senior Sustainability Manager, Matteo Deidda. The reason? To see their pioneering ground-source heat pump installation in action. Amazingly the equipment is as deep into the rocks below the Yorkshire market town as The Shard is high. There are massive savings on heating and cooling to be made throughout the year.
Meanwhile, Chris finds himself in a hard hat and high viz jacket up on the roof of Essex County Council’s archival Record Office in Chelmsford. He’s joined by Director of Property, Investment and Delivery, Ben Finlayson. Chris discovers how the Council and Mitie collaborated to get a head start on green energy, which included securing project funding. This has resulted in tech-enabled solar arrays that not only power the Record Office building, but send surplus electricity back to the national grid when not required.
All aboard the decarbonisation train
We then regroup back in the studio with two of Mitie’s sustainability experts, to join the dots. Catherine Wheatley, Head of Technology, Data and Analytics, explains that core renewable energy technologies haven’t really changed much in recent years. What’s different now is the ability to collect, analyse and interpret and broadcast data. This produces the knock-on benefit of being able to communicate so much more effectively about green energy performance in straightforward, evidence-based terms. And the importance of great messaging and communication can’t be underestimated. Eleni, Matteo and Ben are all agreed that getting people aboard the decarbonisation train using easy-to-understand language and evidence is essential for wider buy-in.
Finally, Mitie MD of Energy and Decarbonisation, Prad Pandit, finds a grain of positivity from the global Covid-19 pandemic. He recalls how the shift to virtual meetings during lockdown accelerated the pace of engagement and decision making in many leadership teams. And it is this, coupled with more corporate courage and resolve, that will bring about a sea change in sustainable business practice. It can’t come soon enough.
We’re in this together
So, we weren’t joking when we said we were jumping in at the deep end. Eighteen years after Al Gore’s seminal documentary, we hope the guests and their perspectives inspire you as much as they did us. Because the climate emergency remains an emergency. And we’re doing this together, or we’re not doing it at all.
Join us, as we explore The science of accelerating the path to net zero.