Sustainable office design 'could save the UK £7bn'

Office design news from Morgan Lovell

Published on 04-02-2011

Sustainable office design, better resource management and working in partnership with other services could see local government cut costs by £7 billion, it has been claimed.

Following an inquiry by the Westminster Sustainable Business and the subsequent release of its report Leaner and Greener: Delivering Effective Estate Management, local councils have been told that the uptake of sustainable office design could be one way to make considerable reductions in spending.

Mr Pickles stated: "This timely report shows that every council could save millions by managing their properties better, using the money to protect frontline services or keep council tax down."

The report noted that by streamlining the use of office interiors, councils could consolidate considerably and save further costs in this area.

Elsewhere, Michael Shanks, chief technology officer of Ultraspeed, recently argued that improvements in sustainability are more likely to be brought about through improved awareness by workers regarding the small changes in their behaviour that can make considerable carbon savings.

Posted by Ian Johnson