National leaders seek proof of progress towards net zero goals
Finally, building managers can put away the complicated spreadsheets, and use a single digital dashboard to assess carbon footprints, set targets, and manage and track emissions. Johnson Controls, the global leader for smart, healthy, sustainable buildings, announces Johnson Controls OpenBlue Net Zero Advisor, which uses digitally automated data collection and analytics to manage and track scope 1 and 2 emissions and assist building owners in reporting for certification and compliance frameworks. Organizations can manage single-building emissions targets around the world, and aggregate global building data to optimize buildings and support reporting on enterprise-wide climate targets.
As regulators seek proof of progress towards net zero goals, they are calling on building owners to provide reliable emissions reporting. Accurate carbon footprint assessment, target-setting, tracking, and management are paramount, as climate disclosures become mandatory not only for building certification and environmental reporting, but also for financial regulation. Yet, organizations struggle to collect, analyse, and operationalize the data, given disparate data sources and varying local conditions. The vast number of different reporting frameworks adds to the complexity.
OpenBlue Net Zero Advisor provides an all-in-one tool for carbon footprint assessment, target setting, emissions management, and tracking. In addition, it aggregates data across a global building portfolio, to deliver insights on reducing building emissions and assist in accurate and transparent global reporting, while saving the time and money normally spent on complicated calculations and spreadsheets. Net Zero Advisor automatically extracts data from monthly utility bills, on-site renewable energy sources, and local emissions factors, including the local power grid contribution. Based on that data, it calculates scope 1 and 2 emissions. It then factors in credits and carbon offsets and calculates total net emissions for each building site. Aggregating and analysing data across a global portfolio of buildings, Net Zero Advisor can also provide carbon footprint transparency at an enterprise-wide level. Net Zero Advisor can help building owners assign measurable targets for energy, energy use intensity, emissions, and emissions intensity for each building, and then manage and summarize climate progress for the entire portfolio.
Whether for individual buildings or for a global portfolio, that clarity enables building owners to set and manage long-term emissions and energy plans, which can align with national building standards, global building certification standards, and science-based targets and other emissions reduction commitments. This provides a clearer, more transparent source of data and tracking to support companies’ disclosure of their progress toward their emissions reduction goals for financial regulators as well.
The Net Zero Advisor is available as a subscription service, so that building owners can install it and start working towards their climate targets, with very limited upfront costs. It can also be installed as part of a comprehensive “Net Zero as a Service” plan. The Net Zero Advisor application belongs to Johnson Controls OpenBlue, the global building market’s most comprehensive suite of connected solutions, which breaks down system siloes, to manage building-wide optimization. OpenBlue can pinpoint inefficient equipment and spaces that are contributing to emissions or waste, and initiate system optimization, supporting progress towards emissions goals set in the Net Zero Advisor. OpenBlue can manage the overall health and sustainability of a building, from air quality and water use, to energy, emissions, and waste reduction.
Vijay Sankaran, Chief Technology Officer at Johnson Controls, says: “Given the urgency of climate action, and the fact that buildings contribute nearly 40 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, businesses across the globe will be seeking to reduce and report on emissions for buildings they own or occupy. The Johnson Controls OpenBlue Net Zero Advisor offers an easy, all-in-one tool for managing emissions, while saving time, effort, and money. For both businesses and national leaders, this marks a critical milestone in achieving net zero progress.”
