• Over 50% of offices don’t employ eco-friendly features.
• US offices score an average of 2.1/5 for eco-friendliness.
• Most sought-after green office features are eco-friendly designs and architecture (73%).
• 26% of job applicants choose a role based on how eco-friendly the office is.
Against a backdrop of climate change protests, awareness has never been stronger. And as many commuters have been affected in their day-to-day lives, opinions seem to be divided.
But how many of us agree with protestors’ messages?
Commercial property agents SavoyStewart.co.uk sought to answer this. 1,703 US office workers have been surveyed to gauge opinions on workplaces’ green efforts.
What do Americans think about eco-friendly offices?
Firstly, respondents were asked to score their current office in terms of eco-friendliness. Shockingly, scores averaged at only 2.1 out of 5 (1 = not eco-friendly at all and 5 = very eco-friendly).
Not only that, but companies aren’t implementing enough eco incentives.
When asked which features their office currently employs, all were under 50%. Specifically, the most common are sustainable office stationery, materials and equipment, but only 46% of offices have them.
Other eco-friendly incentives that offices feature include:
• Energy efficient utilities/devices (42%)
• Office challenges and green policies (32%)
• Eco-friendly office design and architecture (31%)
• Abundance of plant-life (27%)
• In-office sustainability team (14%)
• Chemical-free washing/cleaning products (12%)
Employees believe an office’s utilities and devices are the most environmentally impactful. Most (36%) chose this as the area they think should be the most eco-friendly, followed by office design and architecture (27%), general mindset and all-round attitudes (22%) and materials and supplies (15%).
Furthermore, eco-friendly office designs and architecture (73%) are the most preferred green office features, followed by:
• Energy efficient utilities/devices (69%)
• Office challenges and green policies (57%)
• In-office sustainability team (44%)
• Abundance of plant-life (33%)
• Sustainable office stationery, materials, and equipment (29%)
• Chemical-free washing/cleaning products (20%)
The majority of office workers don’t believe enough is being done by their workplaces to combat climate change – 51% stated no, 27% yes, 15% said in some ways/places and 7% were unsure.
Finally, applicants accept job offers based on how eco-conscious the company is – 26% are very likely to consider a job position if there is a noticeable mindfulness of the environment. This is followed by:
• Likely (24%)
• Somewhat unlikely (15%)
• Somewhat likely (12%)
• Unlikely (11%)
• Neither likely nor unlikely (9%)
• Very unlikely (3%)
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About the Author: Savoy Stewart are a firm of Commercial Surveyors, Property Consultants, Estate Agents and Valuers based on Oxford Street in the heart of the West End of London. For more information, please visit https://savoystewart.co.uk.