Honeywell And Reuters Survey Reveals Dramatic Increase In Sustainability Initiatives In Buildings

SYDNEY, December 8, 2022 — Greater energy efficiency, better indoor air quality (IAQ) and meeting environmental, social and governance (ESG) guidelines are three objectives currently prioritized by multinational organizations as they face increasing pressure to incorporate their building operations into their sustainability plans. These are among the key findings of a report released today by Honeywell (Nasdaq: HON) and Reuters.

Nearly nine in 10 respondents (87%) say that achieving carbon neutrality in their building portfolio is either extremely (58%) or somewhat (29%) important in relation to their overall ESG goals, with only 4% of respondents calling it unimportant. The sense of urgency is understandable: Commercial building operations currently account for 37% of global energy-related CO2 emissions.[i]

Manish Sharma, vice president and general manager of Sustainable Buildings at Honeywell, echoed this sentiment based on his ongoing conversations with current and prospective customers. “If we fast-forward to 2025, I believe carbon neutrality will be one of the top priorities for organizations, driven partly by new carbon taxation plans and decarbonizing incentives,” he said.

While the surveyed organizations are feeling pressure to act, respondents seem generally optimistic in forecasting progress toward their goals. More than 90% of those surveyed expect to achieve carbon neutrality across their portfolios by 2050, while 62% expect to reach that goal by 2035. Notably, only 8% of respondents say they don’t foresee carbon neutrality ever becoming a reality for their portfolios.

Benefits noted by respondents:

Respondents also noted the business benefits of ramping up sustainability efforts across building portfolios. When asked which three of these benefits they valued most, they cited the following:

• Complying with external regulations and investor demands: 90%; with more than 50% of those surveyed ranking it number one
• Increasing productivity and realizing cost reductions: 84%
• Improving brand image: 60%

Barriers creating concern:

Despite their optimism, those surveyed noted several significant barriers that impede their efforts. When asked which three obstacles most hinder progress, respondents reported the following:

• Managing costs: 88%
• Measuring sustainability or a lack of expertise: 60%
• Gaining senior leadership support: 50%

The survey also revealed that companies are investing strategically to accelerate decarbonization and improve overall building performance. While respondents note a wide range of specific efforts, a substantial majority (80%) mention an on-site energy management system as one investment they’ve made to enhance the sustainability of their building operations.

The Honeywell Building Sustainability Manager powered by Honeywell Forge, is a suite of ready now solutions that help building owners and operators meet two pressing, yet often conflicting, objectives – optimizing a building’s IAQ while still reducing its environmental impact – with the aim of helping them to meet carbon neutral goals.

“Incorporating the way buildings operate into sustainability plans is an ongoing process with no fixed endpoint,” said Liam Dowd, Industry Lead – Sustainable Business, Reuters Professional. “While the organizations surveyed differ in how far they’ve progressed toward developing strategies and solutions to support this process, the first step is to benchmark the carbon output of buildings and define the current state of the portfolio.”

The importance of improving building operations reinforces the emphasis organizations are placing on sustainability as detailed in the recently launched Honeywell Environmental Sustainability Index,[ii] a quarterly global survey that captures key trends in corporate sustainability initiatives and other efforts to mitigate climate change. Sixty-five percent of organizations surveyed in the Honeywell Environmental Sustainability index are prioritizing sustainability above other initiatives and 48% of surveyed organizations likely to increase sustainability budgets up to 20% in the next 12 months.

To view the full Honeywell-Reuters report and survey results, click here.

Methodology

Reuters interviewed senior executives at 187 large, multinational corporations in Q3 2022.

About Honeywell Building Technologies

Honeywell Building Technologies (HBT) is transforming the way every building operates to help improve the quality of life. We are a leading building controls company with operations in more than 75 countries supported by a global channel partner network. Commercial building owners and operators use our hardware, software and analytics to help create safe, efficient and productive facilities. Our solutions and services are used in more than 10 million buildings worldwide.

Honeywell (www.honeywell.com) delivers industry specific solutions that include aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings and industry; and performance materials globally. Our technologies help aircraft, buildings, manufacturing plants, supply chains, and workers become more connected to make our world smarter, safer, and more sustainable. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywell.com/newsroom.

Disclaimer: The information presented in this document is intended solely for informational purposes and not as advice or recommendations for any particular action or investment. The information should not be relied upon, in whole or in part, as the basis for decision-making or investment purposes. The document and its contents are not guaranteed as to accuracy or completeness and are provided on an “as is” basis. Use of this information is at your own risk. Honeywell disclaims all warranties as to the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of such information and shall have no liability for errors, omissions, or inadequacies in such information. This document includes opinions which should not be construed as statements of fact. Any opinions expressed herein are subject to change without notice. Any forecasts and forward-looking statements are directional indicators, are not predictions of future events, and do not in any way reflect expectations for (or actual) Honeywell operational or financial performance. Any forecasts and forward-looking statements represent our current judgment and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forecasts and forward-looking statements, which reflect our opinions only as of the date of publication for this document. Honeywell is not obligated to revise or publicly release the results of any revision to these forecasts and forward-looking statements in light of new information or future events.

[i] World Economic Forum, "Why building greener is crucial to meeting Paris climate targets," Patrick Henry, November 1, 2021. [Accessed Nov. 2, 2022]

[ii] Honeywell, Honeywell launches Environmental Sustainability Index showing sustainability leaders' sentiment on past progress and future expectations towards corporate environmental goals, October 20, 2022.

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