Per Karlberg: Finding Evidence of Sustainable Headquarters
In today’s built environment, many companies claim to prioritize sustainability and carbon reduction. However, ProptechOS is determined to uncover tangible evidence of these efforts rather than just empty promises.
To achieve this goal, the Swedish-based company conducted extensive research on the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification database. From there, they compiled a list of ten well-known U.S. brands and their headquarters buildings that have made significant strides in reducing their carbon footprint.
These include:
– Alphabet’s Googleplex and Bay View campuses in Mountain View, CA which use a goat herd for lawn maintenance
– Apple Park Main Building in Cupertino, CA which has planted 9,000 drought-tolerant trees on its premises
– Adobe Founders Tower in San Jose ,CA which boasts North America’s largest all-electric kitchen
– Microsoft’s One Esterra Park campusin Redmond WA with a 13 ,200-square-foot all-electric corporate kitchen
-Salesforce Towerin San Francisco with America’s largest onsite water recycling system
The other five headquarters recognized by ProptechOS for their sustainability efforts are Amazon’s The Spheres (Seattle), Nvidia’s Endeavor and Voyager (Santa Clara), Wells Fargo Headquarters(San Francisco), Abbott Laboratories(Abbott Park IL)and Morgan Stanley(1585 Broadway NYC).
ProptechOS CEO Per Karlberg explains that while major companies contribute significantly to environmental issues globally,”some innovations we found are remarkable”and deserve more attention.”They can pave the way for sustainable practices not only among corporations but also among individuals.”
A Common Goal
Despite serving different audiences with unique products or services,Karlberg notes that these ten companies share common ground when it comes to sustainability.They have committed themselves deeply towards ESG initiatives,and actively engage technology innovation as well as community involvement.
Moreover,sustainability is an integral part of each company’s long-term business strategy.”These strategies not only bring immediate benefits but also provide a competitive edge in the future,” Karlberg adds.
One Step at a Time
Karlberg emphasizes that grand gestures alone are insufficient to achieve sustainability goals. While companies with significant financial resources may rely on innovative technologies, others opt for unconventional methods like using goat herds for lawn maintenance. However, when combined with other sustainable practices such as geothermal energy and durable materials (as seen in Google’s Bay View campus), these seemingly small efforts contribute towards achieving net-zero emissions.
“There is no one-size-fits-all solution to combat the climate crisis,” says Karlberg.”Instead, we must adopt a holistic approach and prioritize overall energy reduction.”
This article was originally published on Connect CRE.