Johnson Controls teams up with TED to outline the role of buildings in driving sustainability

Johnson Controls Chief Sustainability Officer Katie McGinty teamed up with TED Countdown and The Climate Pledge to develop an inspiring and informative video outlining the key role buildings play in net zero strategies and driving sustainability.

This video is the first in a series entitled In The Green: The Business of Climate Action, which will showcase steps taken by signatories of The Climate Pledge to transform their approach as they strive to achieve net zero carbon by 2040.

The Climate Pledge, an initiative co-founded by Amazon and Global Optimism, is a community of global companies and organizations working together to take collective action to build a safe and healthy planet by committing to achieve net zero carbon by 2040 – 10 years sooner than the Paris Climate Agreement goal.

Sharing net zero knowhow

In the video, Katie highlights one foundational fact: buildings account for almost 40 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. This means that optimizing and modernizing building technologies can drive sustainability directly and have a positive impact on climate change.

Katie discusses how taking certain actions – such as updating your HVAC systems or revamping your lighting – can have tangible knock-on effects in terms of reducing energy consumption and energizing people.

One major move is to use what Katie calls “digital smarts” to identify where you can save resources.

This could be as simple as sensors telling the Building Management System that a room is unoccupied, saving a lot of wasted energy and any resulting emissions.

Raise efficiency – reduce emissions – cut costs

Cutting-edge solutions such as OpenBlue Net Zero Buildings can help drive improvements in energy efficiency and corresponding carbon emissions by 50 percent and more.

Our offerings also accelerate action on climate change by removing the need for upfront capital and by guaranteeing fixed or cut operating costs.

Ultimately, this means that upgrading building systems can not only drive down emissions, but can also reduce costs and boost efficiencies, health and happiness in buildings.

This means you can save money while also saving the planet!

The clock is ticking

Johnson Controls knows now is the time to take action.

As Katie says in the video: we can’t crack the climate challenge without decarbonizing buildings.

And as a global leader in smart buildings, Johnson Controls is proud to take a prominent position leading the sustainability conversation. We lead the way in thought and deed, providing expert advice and cutting-edge products that arm organizations with all they need to cut energy use and emissions.

Only together can we properly protect our planet and transform our tomorrows.

There is no time to waste, and no reason to wait.

Let’s get to work.

Source: https://www.johnsoncontrols.com/insights/2022/feature-story/ted-climate-pledge