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Sustainability as resilience
The built environment sits at the centre of the climate challenge. Buildings and construction account for around 40% of global CO₂ emissions. And buildings need to perform in a changing climate.
Assets are being planned for a future that is harder to predict. Energy prices are volatile, regulation is changing and supply chains are tightening. At the same time, climate risk is growing and investors, occupiers and communities expect more.
Sustainability targets cannot remove those risks. But the right approach can reduce exposure to them and, importantly, work to protect asset value.
Decisions on carbon, materials, energy and performance are now decisions about long-term value. Buildings that use less energy are less exposed to price volatility. Those designed for a changing climate are better prepared for extreme weather. And projects designed for future standards are less likely to face costly redesign, compliance risks or falling demand.
The data shows this shift.
Only 2% of organisations said that sustainability is not currently a priority.
Over half see a clear business benefit.
34% say it helps protect long-term asset value and resilience
20% see it as a driver of commercial value.
“There is no foot off the pedal on sustainability. In some of our markets, utility costs and tariffs are extremely high, so the business case is very real. We are now looking to put PV (photo voltaic) wherever we can.
On one of our stores in Kuala Lumpur, for example, we are preparing an investment to generate 3.2MW, mostly from the roof of one building. It is not far from being able to self-consume and run the entire facility. That is a big step forward from a sustainability perspective.”
Senior leader at an international retail and real estate group
From priority to proof
Uncertainty is testing the business case. 40% of respondents say it has reduced investment in sustainability. But the same proportion say it has increased it.
For some organisations, sustainability is still a cost to manage. For others, it is a way to reduce exposure, protect performance and hold value over time.
“Sustainability can no longer sit in a separate box marked carbon. It is tied to asset performance, returns and ability to adapt and hold value in a changing world. Organisations need to consider which decisions will stand up commercially, operationally and environmentally over time. Resilience is built when those choices are tested early: what reduces exposure, what creates new risk, and what will still work as climate, energy, regulation and user expectations change?”
— Adam Mactavish, Group Sustainability Director, Currie & Brown
Treating sustainability as an add-on creates uncertainty. Late decisions can lead to design changes, materials that are harder to source and higher costs. Strong sustainability ambitions require a practical plan from feasibility to operation.
There is still a delivery gap. Only 35% of respondents say sustainability ambitions are consistently delivered on most projects. And only 10% say sustainability is fully embedded across every project.
Why is that? For many, practical barriers are getting in the way. Cost and budget constraints are the biggest challenge, cited by 49%. Supply-chain capability follows at 36%, with access to sustainable materials at 34% and technical expertise at 33%.
Sustainability can help build resilience, but teams need to understand both its benefits and where it may add cost or complexity. This helps protect outcomes when budgets come under pressure or projects go through value engineering. It means looking at carbon and energy alongside procurement, cost, climate risk and asset performance.
Crucially, sustainability should not be the first thing cut when uncertainty rises. Lower-energy, more resilient buildings are less exposed to volatile costs, future regulation and changing user expectations. This can help protect asset value and avoid the need for upgrades, both of which support long-term returns.
“Sustainability has always been part of Accor’s ambition, but ambition alone is not enough. We link it to the business and to hotel performance. When owners understand the value of reducing energy and water use, they move quickly. Reaching the target is like climbing Everest: you cannot go straight to the summit, but if you keep moving step by step, new technology and innovation help you go further. Sustainability becomes easier to deliver when it is tied to performance, operating cost and competitive advantage.”
Damien Perrot
Global Chief Design, Technical Services & Innovation Officer, PM&E Accor
Case study
Building resilience into Sidara’s London office
Our London home at 150 Holborn achieved BREEAM Outstanding with a score of 97.2%, placing it among the top five comparable buildings in the UK and second in London.
We provided project and cost management services, using lifecycle cost comparisons to test choices against carbon and commercial value at each design stage. For example, a high-efficiency chiller required more upfront investment but improved energy efficiency, cut carbon emissions and reduced running costs over the building’s life.
The building now runs on 100% renewable energy, supported by rooftop solar panels. A blue roof reduces stormwater run-off, while grey water reuse and native planting reduce demand for water. Smart technology also adjusts lighting and heating based on how the building is used.
150 Holborn shows the value of making sustainability part of the strategy from the start. Early decisions and sustained focus throughout the project lifecycle have created a lower-carbon building with lower running costs and greater resilience to changing demands.