Energy efficiency is king in the commercial built environment – but indoor air quality and water are gunning for the crown.

,
Energy efficiency is king in the commercial built environment – but indoor air quality and water are gunning for the crown.

It’s no longer a matter of IF sustainability is important in corporate America – 82% of business decision makers say it is. Our new 2015 B2B Pulse study found significant increases in the number of companies using sustainability scorecards and incorporating sustainability criteria in their purchasing RFPs. In particular, energy savings/cost reductions are the number-one driver for undertaking sustainability initiatives. So, not surprisingly, our annual survey of business decision makers found that energy-efficient products and improvements were prioritized over all others in most organizations.

Here are some highlights:

  • Energy efficiency was the second most common sustainability initiative for which companies have stated goals and/or that they currently measure, behind recycling.
  • The percentage following ENERGY STAR® standards for renovation or construction projects jumped 20 percentage points, to 50%.
  • “Product is energy efficient” was, by far, the most important sustainable attribute in decision making, beating the number-two criteria, “product contains no chemicals of concern,” by 17 percentage points.

However, there’s growing concern about chemical content and indoor air quality among B2B decision makers. While few organizations report official corporate initiatives around chemical avoidance, 74% said that’s very important in product selection. The same is true for water conservation. While only 37% said their companies currently prioritize water-efficient fixtures in facility plans, 71% said that water efficiency is important in product selection. These inconsistencies point to a growing opportunity for products that address these concerns and to the insight that decision makers are people, too.

For B2B Pulse 2015, we surveyed over 400 decision makers in a wide range of sectors, from business services to hospitality. We’ve profiled the key care-abouts and preferences for decision makers who are critical to facility renovation, construction and product selection, including facility managers, CFOs and CEOs. The report is packed with useful insights and actionable information for anyone in product development or sales and marketing in a variety of industries – but particularly those focused on the built environment. It gives you the perspective you need to sell more sustainable products and leverage your company’s sustainability story in the B2B space.

Skills

,

Posted on

April 22, 2015

About the Author

Lee Ann Head

Lee Ann is a former contributor to Shelton Insights.

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *