Sustainability is a top priority for Middle Eastern businesses, Honeywell research shows technology is being used to improve efficiency, costs, health and safety
Research by Honeywell on building sustainability and energy management shows that Middle East business leaders consider environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives to be a top business priority, with a focus on energy management and occupant safety and well-being.
Surveying more than 300 business leaders and decision-makers in UAE, KSA and Egypt, the results show that sustainability is a top priority and that ESG has grown in importance, driven by an increased focus on the need for sustainability, and the need to improve cost-efficiency and occupational health and safety due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Key findings
- 89 per cent of respondents say that ESG considerations are important to their strategy, with 84 per cent saying that energy management and sustainability are also important
- 80 per cent state that the importance of energy management and sustainability has increased over the last two years
- Occupant health and safety (50 per cent) is the most commonly invested in area of ESG
- 43 per cent say that COVID-19 accelerated energy management and sustainability initiatives, 21 per cent stated that the pandemic hindered such initiatives
Technology in ESG initiatives
Energy efficient lighting, predictive maintenance software and HVAC optimisation are common areas of investment, approximately 76 per cent of respondents in UAE and KSA and 58 per cent in Egypt confirmed that their organisation implemented air quality measures during COVID-19
- 80 per cent believe that an autonomous control or a predictive maintenance solution would improve energy management operations
- 80 per cent believe that today’s digital-based solutions are effective in improving the energy efficiency of buildings
