Moving towards a sustainable workplace

There’s no reason why office spaces and real estate shouldn’t be leading actors in the fight against human-driven climate change.

In fact, the buildings sector has a large environmental impact and is currently contributing to 30% of global annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while consuming around 40% of the world’s energy. Creating a great workplace isn’t just about superfast WiFi, strong coffee, and a vibrant community — although those things are still important. Sustainability in coworking spaces is about impacting the world in the most positive way we can, while maximising well-being for everyone.

However, it isn’t going to be easy.

If we could snap our fingers and be a zero-emissions flexible workspace tomorrow, we would. But life, like work, is a process. We want to be open about the steps we are taking in our continued effort to make our locations as environmentally friendly as possible, always striving to lower our environmental footprint. This is our commitment and our promise to you.

Here’s how we’re doing so far:

Green when we clean

We are working towards full transparency in our facilities' cleaning products, where all products are biodegradable and non-toxic. Many industry cleaning products contain ingredients that have a negative effect on the environment or your health, like butoxyethanol and ammonia. Keeping your workplace clean shouldn't come at a cost to nature or your wellbeing. While green cleaning products might not sound like a big impact, making sure our daily operations are as environmentally friendly as possible makes a big difference in the long run.

Responsible electricity

At all of our coworking spaces, we source our electricity from purely renewable sources. Our new coworking space in Portal Del Angel, Barcelona, will also have the ability to generate solar power.

Recycling

We have recycling services in all of our locations and are working to increase our recycling percentage. While recycling may seem like a small gesture, it keeps as many natural resources as possible in the material loop. This means less stress is put on our ecosystems because we don’t use energy and resources to create new materials.

A better snack bar

We know that you and your team need fuel to stay productive throughout the day. We also know that making decisions on an empty stomach is … not ideal, and that includes deciding which snack to eat. That’s why the vast majority of the products in our Honesty Markets are sustainably sourced and produced, giving you one less thing to think about.

Air quality control

Part of a good work environment is being able to think clearly. Countless academic studies have shown that air quality is directly related to wellbeing and productivity. We measure the air quality in all of our locations to ensure a healthy and fresh working environment.

Beyond our own walls – emission impact

We believe our responsibility reaches beyond the limits of the physical office space. While we are working towards making our coworking spaces as low-emission as possible, we make certain that our facilities still reach net-zero emissions. Via our partners at Minimum.eco, we track our emissions, including power usage, cloud solutions, transportation, and more, and offset them through different carbon downdraw initiatives.

We invest in a diverse portfolio of initiatives that lower greenhouse gas emissions.

These include technologies that cut down on emissions from wood-fired cooking stoves, reforestation projects which engage and employ local communities, projects that track and properly dispose of potent greenhouse gasses like ozone, and more. We monitor our emissions, follow up on progress reports, and continuously look for ways to lower our environmental impact – both via changes in our facilities and emission-reducing initiatives like our work with Minimum.eco.

If you have any suggestions on how we can make our spaces even more sustainable, please reach out at info@onecowork.com