Demystifying Decarbonization: A Building Owner and Business Executive Quick Guide

Organizations face challenges to create more efficient operations and achieve sustainability goals. But it doesn't have to be a challenge. Here are 3 steps to successfully decarbonize your building and business.

6/21/24, 3:41 PM

Demystifying Decarbonization: A Building Owner and Business Executive Quick Guide

APRIL 17, 2023

As pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions increases, organizations face several challenges to create more sustainable operations. Local, state, and federal regulations and incentives are driving critical decisions about buildings and infrastructure -both to remain compliant and to ensure long term viability. Public and private entities alike are responding to changing expectations for indoor environments, while at the same time working to understand the impacts of evolving building code changes and natural gas bans. Putting these things together as part of a holistic plan to meet environmental sustainability goals may feel like a daunting proposition.

It's critical to get a handle on your sustainability goals and develop a realistic plan to achieve them. This guide is meant to help building owners and business executives get on the right path to creating a decarbonization plan that will help to meet the environmental sustainability goals of today and help to set buildings and businesses up for long-term energy and cost savings and increased operational resiliency, well into the future.

3 Steps to Successfully Decarbonize your Building and Business

Step 1: Consider what is driving your decarbonization ambition to determine appropriate goals for each location in your portfolio

You're likely feeling the pressure to become a more sustainable operation from multiple sources. And it's important to understand the nuances of each so that you know what emission reduction goals you're accountable to meet.

As is illustrated in the graphic above, three components make up your sustainability program: Environmental, Social, and Governance -commonly referred to as ESG. Your carbon footprint is comprised of three "Scopes" -Onsite, Energy, and Value Chain.

Scope 1 "Onsite" emissions are emissions used directly within your operations and are commonly made up of fossil fuels.
Scope 2 "Energy" emissions are electricity purchased from the electrical grid. While you are accountable for these emissions, it is not directly in your control.
Scope 3 "Value Chain" emissions are a more complex set of emissions related to the creation and transportation of products and services.

Making changes to reduce emissions in any of these three scopes is how you achieve decarbonization. Working with an expert, you can determine the appropriate mix of initiatives within this framework to achieve your sustainability goals while supporting your business and financial goals.

Step 3: Make a Decarbonization Plan

Decarbonization comes down to four main components: Energy Efficiency, Electrification, Renewable Energy, and Refrigerant Management. Let's look at what goes into each component.

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About the author

Trevor Joelson, Decarbonization Program Lead -Key Accounts

Trevor Joelson is a program lead for Trane's decarbonization program for key account customers. Through this program, Trevor collaborates with larger enterprises to define their environmental sustainability objectives and establish initiatives and programs to reduce operational emissions through financially attractive and measurable projects.

Trevor joined Trane through an acquisition of Fellon-McCord in 2016 and has held various roles in corporate energy & sustainability management over the last decade. His subject matter expertise is in the energy markets and how the supply-side of energy connects to the built environment.

Trevor lives with his family in Dallas, TX and is a graduate of the University of Louisville.

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Demystifying Decarbonization: A Building Owner and Business Executive Quick Guide