Optimising Building Performance: How Envizi Drives ESG Impact in UK Commercial Property
The UK government’s commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 has significant implications for the property sector. Commercial buildings are responsible for a substantial portion of the country’s energy use and carbon emissions. In 2022, buildings were responsible for 34 per cent of global energy demand and 37 per cent of energy and process-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
With rising energy costs, increasing climate risk, and tightening ESG disclosure mandates, understanding and optimising how buildings consume energy is crucial. What’s more, a recent CBRE study revealed that energy-efficient commercial property assets delivered total returns of 11.2%, compared to just 7.0% for their inefficient counterparts.
As a result, building owners and operators are increasingly focused on improving energy efficiency and reducing their environmental footprint. With this objective firmly at the forefront of industry, property owners and operators are under pressure to improve environmental, social and governance performance.
IBM Envizi, an ESG data and analytics platform helps organisations streamline energy management and sustainability reporting. By integrating building systems data, Envizi provides actionable insights that enable property managers to reduce energy consumption, lower emissions, and meet ESG targets more effectively. Envizi empowers organisations to optimise operations, meet regulatory obligations, and achieve long-term sustainability objectives.
How Envizi Enhances Building Optimisation
Envizi offers a comprehensive suite of tools designed to help organisations manage and improve their ESG performance. It aggregates data from various building systems to provide a holistic view of energy consumption, enabling property managers to identify inefficiencies and implement targeted improvements. The platform facilitates accurate tracking of greenhouse gas emissions, helping businesses monitor progress toward reduction goals and comply with reporting requirements. Envizi’s dedicated API connectors and algorithms enable reporting directly into the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) and ENERGY STAR frameworks and get indicative ratings from National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS). Lastly, Envizi simplifies the process of compiling and reporting ESG data, ensuring compliance with frameworks such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) framework.
By leveraging Envizi’s capabilities, organisations can make data-driven decisions that enhance building performance, reduce operational costs, and improve ESG outcomes.
Aberdeen Asset Management implemented IBM Envizi as a core platform in its energy strategy. Using Envizi, they enabled property managers to record and monitor energy efficiency projects in real-time, piloted a BMS-integrated Equipment Fault Detection module to identify inefficient systems and improve response times, and identified practical energy savings via temperature control changes, heating/cooling timers, and LED lighting upgrades.
This proactive approach has helped Aberdeen optimise energy use while meeting ESG goals — a template other landlords can replicate.
Envizi doesn’t just gather data — it makes it useful. For commercial property professionals, it provides:
- Automated data capture
- Standardised reporting across frameworks including TCFD, ISSB, GRI, and CSRD.
- Timely anomaly detection, highlighting energy waste and underperforming assets.
- Portfolio-wide emissions tracking, helping you stay on target for Net-Zero.
Aligning with Global ESG Standards
Global initiatives like the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), launched at COP26 — are pushing towards a global baseline for sustainability disclosures. This will allow UK property and corporate entities to align reporting with international best practices while reducing complexity and double reporting.
Want to optimise your portfolio and simplify ESG reporting?
Get in touch to learn how IBM Envizi can help your business lead the way.