Is your business committed to environmental sustainability and stewardship? If so, it might shock you to learn that the real estate industry is one of the world’s largest carbon emitters today, accounting for 39 percent of the global total.  

As of 2018, 5.9 million commercial buildings contained 96 billion square feet of floor space in the United States alone, much of which is used for office space. By 2050, this number is expected to reach 124.6 billion square feet. 

While the need for office space will always remain, the way we use it will play a critical role in creating a sustainable future. Serviced offices—and the organizations that use them—are leading this charge.  

Here’s how. 

1. Prioritizing Sustainable Buildings Whenever Possible 

When you break down the total emissions produced by the real estate industry, 11% comes from materials and construction. 

Ground-up office development is extremely carbon-intensive. Concrete, wood, plastic, and glass take a significant environmental toll.  

While the majority of serviced office operators don’t play a role in developing buildings, they do have the flexibility to select buildings where sustainability is a priority, such as those with LEED certifications. 

At iQ Offices, we're proud to offer LEED-certified buildings within our portfolio and are dedicated to operating in sustainable environments whenever possible. 

2. Reducing Waste from Fit-Outs and Construction 

Ground-up development isn’t the only contributor to carbon emissions in the office space industry. Interior fit-outs also produce significant emissions—and they are a key element of traditional office leasing.  

This is where serviced office spaces have a massive leg-up over traditional office environments. 

Let’s break it down.  

If you start looking for a traditional office space today, the space you find will likely be unusable in its current state. 

Why? 

When organizations take on an office lease, they typically build out that workspace with a “five-year expiry” in mind. This means they signed on for a five-year lease, so that’s all they plan for in terms of their fit-out: 

• They made improvements and designed their space to fit their needs for five years and 
• They purchased furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E), which was just good enough to last five years  

Then, at the end of that five-year period, they walk out of the space and leave everything behind. 

When the next tenant comes in, they head into the next “five-year cycle,” ripping out old improvements and implementing new ones—overhauling the office, conducting renovations, and replacing FF&E. 

New materials are needed, more construction is done, and the discarded elements end up in a landfill.  

Serviced offices operate differently because their business model takes a much longer-term view.  

Rather than making massive overhauls for each new tenant, serviced office space operators design and fit out their spaces so that only minor adjustments are needed over time.  

At iQ Offices, our spaces are intentionally designed to sustain over long periods of time.  

Because of that fact, we invest in ensuring our procurement process is streamlined to reduce waste and reduce carbon footprints.  

We purchase timeless, high-quality furniture crafted to be used by dozens of members and last a decade or longer, and we design our spaces so they can be tailored to meet the needs of our members without major overhauls or renovations being needed.  

3. Sharing Amenities and Utilities  

The remaining 28% of real estate-related carbon emissions are operational, derived from the energy needed to heat, cool, and power buildings, along with plumbing and water usage.  

Unlike traditional offices, serviced office spaces massively reduce these emissions through shared amenities and utilities.   

Since the entire space is centrally managed and business tools are shared among multiple businesses, paper usage can be reduced through digitized processes, energy-efficient LED lighting and appliances can be readily installed throughout the space, and programmable thermostats can be leveraged for better energy control.  

4. Providing Centralized Waste Management  

As an extension of their shared amenities and utilities, serviced office spaces also reduce waste through the provision of shared cups and centralized waste management. 

For example, iQ Offices taps into: 

• Reusable cups, mugs, stir sticks, cutlery, and plates to reduce single-use waste 
• Recycling programs, e-waste management, and organic waste management 
• Snack dispensers rather than pre-packaged snacks  
• Flow water instead of plastic bottled water  

In a traditional office, these systems would come at the cost and discretion of each individual tenant. But in a serviced office environment, they’re handled on behalf of tenants—and within the costs of their monthly fees.  

5. Optimizing Space Utilization  

The standard office worker’s carbon footprint, including commuting and energy use in the office, can amount to approximately 300kg of CO₂ annually per desk . 

But in our post-pandemic world, there’s been a massive shift in the way offices are used. 

Today, many organizations have implemented hybrid work models wherein employees work from the office a few days a week and at home for the remainder. 

This has proven to be a positive experience for employees, but it’s not optimal from the perspective of space utilization or sustainability. Within this model, offices are half-full but still utilize the same energy resources as they would at full occupancy.  

Serviced office spaces make this hybrid model both more sustainable and financially viable than ever. 

For example, with a hoteling program, a 20-person organization could enlist a 10-person office in a serviced office space and rotate its employees’ in-office time throughout the week.  

Simply put, a smaller workspace creates less of a carbon footprint while cutting costs and boosting office utilization.   

This has a ripple effect in terms of sustainability through reduced commute times and lower carbon emissions. 

Today, organizations have a responsibility to operate sustainably, act as environmental stewards, and be proactive in building a better future for our world—and your office plays a major role. 

At iQ Offices, we’re no exception. In our devotion to environmental responsibility, we’re working to create a sustainable future by partnering with initiatives and practicing responsible measures to reduce our ecological footprint and pave the way for an environmentally conscious workplace.  

If you’re in search of a sustainable full-service office for your organization, book a tour of your local iQ Offices location today and join us in prioritizing the planet, one eco-friendly step at a time.