Sustainability Magazine November 2023 | Page 123

CLAIRE WILLITTS
Is it as easy as adopting new energy solutions ? The solutions themselves are crucial in this regard as they must be flexible enough to be tailored to the limitations of existing buildings . An innovative design ethos is therefore critical to success , whereas in new-build scenarios , design can be purist and therefore much less challenging . Retrofit does require true innovation and can therefore be leading-edge . UWL now has the world ’ s largest combined GSHP and solar PVT system in the world and a Europe ’ s first accolade for the ASHP system .
But there is more to be said about the approach than simply getting the technologies right . Khanom explains that data is one of the key components of the sustainability strategy , while also noting that it is important to have a comprehensive view of an organisation ’ s environmental impacts before generating a clean energy strategy .
“ Carbon emissions data is a critical component of sustainability efforts . It

CLAIRE WILLITTS

TITLE : DIRECTOR OF PROPERTY SERVICES
COMPANY : UNIVERSITY OF WEST LONDON
INDUSTRY : EDUCATION LOCATION : UNITED KINGDOM
Claire Willitts is the Director of Property Services at the University of West London and has over eighteen years of experience in estate and project management . She is a chartered surveyor and a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors . provides valuable insights into the impact of an organisation ’ s activities on the environment and helps them make informed decisions to reduce their environmental footprint and promote sustainable practices ,” says Khanom .
In a sense , it seems more beneficial to refer to individual technologies as solutions to key tasks in the overall strategy to achieve efficiency , but branding them as ‘ solutions ’ for emissions reduction isn ’ t always so fitting . There is a shift among companies to understand the overall impact of their actions in their wider context . A great way of looking at this is to understand the principle of Scope 3 emissions , which has more emphasis now that public awareness has risen about the flaws in the majority of supply chains .
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