THE SUSTAINABILITY INTERVIEW
In these urban areas, buildings account for as much as 60 % of overall carbon emissions.
Katie explains that retrofits of older buildings can sometimes deliver even greater improvements in emissions and cost savings because there’ s“ so much more inefficiency to be addressed”.
The greater challenge, she feels, is often getting executive attention. Buildings typically don’ t capture C-suite interest unless something goes wrong.
“ The bricks and mortar of an organisation aren’ t typically what is capturing the attention and imagination of the boardroom,” Katie explains.“ When the CEO shows up and heads for the elevator, she’ s pushing B for the boardroom, not B for the basement.”
She feels that this mindset needs to shift for organisations to recognise that their physical infrastructure can be a strategic asset rather than just housing for their operations. When executives understand this potential, even briefly, transformative projects can take root.
Managing data centre growth With the explosive rise of artificial intelligence, particularly generative AI, data centre capacity is expanding rapidly. However, this growth faces four critical challenges: energy, water, space and noise. Johnson Controls is looking to address all four through innovative partnerships and technologies.
30 August 2025