The supplementary theme of this year’s TechoCon is sustainability within offices and in general in connection with the workplace environment. Sustainability is a theme that has gained in importance among both international and Czech companies over recent years. This is not just a matter of using sustainable materials during construction. What exactly is a sustainable building, and what does sustainability comprise?
Healthy buildings
Sustainable and healthy – these words are often associated with the highly refined and automated buildings that meet the requirements of certification. Their sustainability is frequently related to the automation of certain tasks that would normally be performed by a person and much less effectively. One such task is the regulation of lighting. Automatic lighting sets lighting levels over the course of the day to save energy. Another example is automatic air circulation that regulates oxygen in the office.
Raising employee awareness
In order for a company to bear the sustainability “badge” a smart building that turns off lights in empty rooms is on its own not enough. The core of any firm is its employees and their engagement is necessary. Every detail is important, from the sorting of plastic waste to the saving of water and the cups used for coffee.
The circular vs. linear economy
Another aspect of a sustainable company is the type of economic system that it operates. The majority of companies operate a linear system: purchased material is transformed into a product which is supplied to an end user, who eventually disposes of it. In the circular economic system the company produces products that can be recycled, repaired and renovated.
A responsible supply chain
One of the signs of a sustainable company is that it has a “responsible” supply chain. This type of supply chain links businesses that work together to adopt, implement and coordinate shared values, strategies and tactics in order to combine all levels of social responsibility with business processes into a single chain. International cooperation can have a large influence on a company, and with this chain the impact is magnified.
One of the companies that takes sustainability very seriously is Google. Their mission is to build sustainability into everything they do. With their example they also enlighten others and help save our planet. At TECHO we consider it very important to promote sustainability in office environments. For this reason we have selected it as the secondary theme of this year’s TechoCon. Don’t miss it.
