Office: Croydon and the Sustainability Movement

Business owners and employees alike are increasingly demanding sustainability features when looking at where they wish to work. Here we look at how environmental, social and governance criteria are becoming more important when choosing where to locate and how, thanks to the area's impressive sustainability plans, an office in Croydon could prove a wise place to settle.

Sustainability is increasingly considered a standard characteristic of good quality office space. More and more research suggests that the very elements that define sustainability can positively affect building value, rental appeal, and reduced void periods.

In turn, commercial building occupiers themselves are beginning to demand strong sustainability criteria in order to meet environmental, social and governance (ESG) compliance, making their organisations more of an attractive proposition for investment.

What are sustainability criteria and why are they important?

A rising number of organisations are starting to adopt sustainable workplace practices. Not only do they help to fulfil ESG commitments, but they also have a positive impact on operational costs and employee health and well-being.

A sustainable workplace seeks to protect the environment and reduce business risk.
In an environmental sense, a sustainable building can reduce carbon emissions, thus meeting Climate Change Act 2008 requirements and reduce regulatory risk.

Economically, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified buildings use 25 per cent less energy and 11 per cent less water than uncertified buildings. Further, according to owners, new or retrofitted green buildings can increase around 7 per cent in asset value, and green building retrofit can immediately reduce operational costs by 10 per cent in just a year.

Socially, employees in sustainable workplaces are, on average, 16 per cent more productive. They also experience considerable improvement in cognitive scores.
Improvement in indoor air quality courtesy of reduced carbon dioxide concentrations and better ventilation is linked to a 7 per cent boost to employee performance.

Finally, studies suggest that employees prefer to work in companies that can show positive sustainability credentials. How office space is ventilated, lit and presented, as well as access to local amenities and green space, can all have a significant impact upon attracting and retaining talent.

The British Land's Place People Prefer survey of 1,000 workers revealed that over 80 per cent believe that companies that fail to offer their staff a convenient location and attractive workplace features are more likely to lose them. The same number felt they would be 36 per cent more productive if their working conditions were ideal, and 86 per cent said they would stay longer with an employer that offered the ideal office location and features.

CBRE's 2018 European Occupier Survey showed that 92 per cent of respondents had a preference for buildings capable of supporting wellness initiatives; 80 per cent have or will introduce a wellness programme, and 74 per cent expect to provide more collaboration and wellness space.

Sustainability rules… here's why an office in Croydon could help you meet all the right ESG criteria

Croydon is a leading light when it comes to tackling the looming climate and environmental emergency, with plans to put in place a citizens' assembly to help steer borough-wide environmental work.

The assembly will ensure residents are empowered to directly influence how the council will tackle vital issues, building on the success of the Croydon Sustainable Summit.
Croydon Council itself is already working on sustainability improvements. Initiatives include:

  • Boosting the borough's recycling rate by 9%.
  • Planting 3,500 trees by 2023.
  • Cutting energy use.
  • Creating School Streets.
  • Installing 400 electric vehicle public charging points by 2022.
  • Allocating £500,000 to making it more straightforward to cycle and generally travel more sustainably throughout the borough.

Residents with low-polluting vehicles are set to benefit from significant discounts courtesy of emissions-based parking permits across Croydon's controlled parking zones. What's more, the council has pledged to become carbon neutral by 2030.
Finally, a £250,000 Green Croydon Fund to support environmental projects will help people live greener lives or encourage sustainable lifestyles.

Looking to rent a sustainable office? Croydon could tick all the boxes, and so could Corinthian House

Corinthian House is an iconic building located right in the centre of a forward-looking Croydon. With a comprehensive variety of modern features on offer, including showers, locker rooms, a communal kitchen, meeting rooms and high-speed internet, as well as being exceptionally well served by local transport and surrounded by green spaces, it offers plenty in the way of sustainable features.
Why not talk to our dedicated team today to find out how a serviced office at Corinthian House could work for your business? We look forward to giving you a tour.