THE SUSTAINABILITY INTERVIEW
Buildings are responsible for nearly 40 % of global greenhouse gas emissions according to the IEA, but they often go unrecognised in climate conversations.
For Katie McGinty, Chief Sustainability and External Relations Officer at Johnson Controls, this statistic brings both a challenge and an opportunity. The company, with 140 years of history and 100,000 employees across 150 countries, specialises in technologies that transform buildings from energy burdens into smart, sustainable assets.
“ The climate is telling us that until we decarbonise those buildings, we can’ t effectively decarbonise the climate,” she explains.“ The great news is that we have a trifecta of technologies today that drives those buildings from being a burden on the climate and the balance sheet to being net zero or even net energy positive.”
This trifecta – efficiency, electrification and digitalisation – is changing how organisations view their built environment. When implemented correctly, these technologies can transform buildings into assets that autonomously support operations and even generate revenue by selling electricity back to the grid.
Johnson Controls is implementing this vision within its own built environment. The company is approaching 90 % completion of its own science-based emissions reduction targets.
Katie points to Johnson Controls’ factory in Norman, Oklahoma as a prime example. This facility, its second-largest
26 August 2025