This year in particular, Net Zero Week does not feel abstract.
With rising temperatures, repeated heatwaves and weather that feels more extreme each year, climate change is becoming impossible to ignore. When the heat hits you in the face before the working day has even started (and you’re not stepping off a plane into a tropical country) it’s a reminder that net zero is a responsibility for today and not just the future.
For the built environment, that reminder is especially important.
At least 80% of the buildings that will be occupied in 2050 have already been built. That means net zero cannot rely on new developments alone. While highly sustainable new buildings have an important role to play, the bigger challenge is found in the buildings we already live, work and gather in every day.
Retrofitting existing buildings, upgrading legacy systems and improving day-to-day operational performance will be essential to reducing emissions at scale. The UK built environment is directly responsible for 25% of total UK greenhouse gas emissions, so making older and existing buildings more efficient is a major net zero priority despite the technical challenges it may present.
Smart building technology can be utilised here to make a real, practical difference.
By connecting systems, improving visibility and using real-time building data, smart technology can help existing buildings operate more efficiently without requiring a complete rebuild.
From HVAC optimisation and lighting control to occupancy insights and energy reporting, smarter building operations can help to bridge the gap between buildings we have today and the net zero goals we need to reach tomorrow.
Here are five ways smart building technology can support net zero goals:
1. Optimising existing HVAC systems
Heating, ventilation and air conditioning are among the biggest energy demands in many commercial buildings.
In buildings that are older, it’s often the case that HVAC systems are built to work around fixed schedules, legacy controls or they are programmed based only on assumptions about how the building is being used.
As tends to be the case when decisions are made on assumptions as opposed to real data, energy frequently is wasted in spaces that are underused, empty or operating outside of actual demand.
Smart building technology can help building teams better understand when spaces are occupied, how indoor conditions are changing and where system may be working harder than is necessary. Installing a system wherein HVAC usage can become more responsive to real-time building use means there is no longer a need to rely on fixed settings, which can be miscalculated, outdated and ultimately wasteful.
This doesn’t always mean that entire systems need to be replaced. In many scenarios, existing systems are able to perform more intelligently once better data is used to monitor and control them.
For net zero goals, this matters. Reducing unnecessary heating, cooling and ventilation is one of the most practical ways to lower operational carbon without sacrificing comfort and wellbeing.
2. Reducing energy waste through smarter lighting
Lighting is another area where small changes can make a noticeable difference.
In many buildings, lights are often left on in areas barely used, especially across shared spaces, meeting rooms, back-of-house areas or floors with changing occupancy patterns. Over time, the energy wasted adds up.
Smart lighting control helps buildings respond more effectively to real use. By connecting lighting to occupancy, daylight levels and building schedules, spaces can remain safe, welcoming and well-lit when peo
ple need them, while reducing unnecessary use when they do not.
In particular this is useful for existing buildings where operational habits may not have kept pace with the way people now use space.
Hybrid working, for example, has changed office rhythms. Some areas might be busy on a Tuesday, quiet on Fridays, and completely unpredictable in between. With smart lighting, buildings can adapt to those patterns instead of continuing to operate as thought every space is full every day.
3. Using occupancy insights to understand real building demand
Another big challenge for existing buildings is understanding how they are actually being used.
A building might have been designed for one pattern of work when it was first established but is now used in a completely different way. Hybrid working, flexible schedules and changing occupier expectations mean that many offices now experience fluctuating levels of demand throughout the week.
Reliable occupancydata means building teams aren’t left guessing.
Smart building technology can provide clearer insight into how people move through and use a space, helping teams understand which areas are busy, which are underused and where services may need to be adjusted.
For example, if certain floors, meeting rooms or shared spaces are consistently underused, there may be opportunity to review heating, cooling, lighting, cleaning or maintenance schedules. Rather than making buildings feel restricted, this data actually helps them respond better and more accurately to real demand.
Occupancy insights can also support long-term decision-making concerning space planning, amenity use and workplace strategy.
For existing buildings, this is a particularly valuable piece of information.
Instead of assuming a building needs a full physical redesign, owners and operators can start by using data to understand what is already happening and where improvements can be made.
4. Connecting disconnected building systems
The older a building is, the more likely it is to have multiple systems doing different jobs, often not always communicating with each other.
Smart building technology can bring together access control, HVAC, lighting, lifts, occupancy sensors, visitor management, energy metres and a workplace app in one, connected platform – the bigger picture available on one shared dashboard.
When systems share data, building teams can make better decisions, spot inefficiencies and respond faster to changing conditions – this is important for retrofit strategies.
Not every building can be rebuilt from the ground up, especially legacy or heritage buildings. Not every asset will have brand-new infrastructure. But many existing buildings are capable of becoming smarter by connected the technology they already have and adding the right digital layer over time.
A connected approach can help extend the value of existing systems, reduce operational friction and support a more sustainably-led building management team.
For net zero goals, the benefit is simple: the more clearly a building can communicate what’s happening inside it, the easier it becomes to reduce waste and improve performance.
5. Turning building data into better ESG reporting
Net zero progress needs to be measurable.
For landlords, occupiers and asset managers, sustainability is about more than just setting targets – it requires showing progress, providing evidence of improvements and making decisions based on reliable data.
Smart building technology can support this by making operational data easier to capture and understand. Energy performance, occupancy trends, comfort conditions and system activity can all help to tell a clearer story about how a building is performing.
This can support ESG reporting, investor updates, occupier engagement and internal sustainability strategies.
However, the value in reporting is not just in making a report. We’ve heard the phrase “action speaks louder than words”, and that is exactly how we judge the value of reporting. An ESG reporting system can arguably only be classed as an improvement, or “better”, if it leads to improved, “better” action.
For existing buildings, this is especially important. Retrofit and operational improvements need to be tracked over time so that teams can understand their impact and keep building on progress.
Smart building technology gives property teams the visibility they need to move from ambition to evidence.
Why existing buildings are key to net zero
Net zero will not be achieved if we only focus on new developments. The buildings that exist today will make up a huge part of the built environment for decades to come, meaning the path to net zero depends on helping existing buildings become more efficient.
Retrofitting is a major part of that challenge, but retrofit does not only mean large-scale physical upgrades. It can also mean improving how buildings operate day to day.
Once again, smart building technology has an important role to play.
By connecting systems, using real-time data and helping building teams make informed decisions, smart technology can support practical progress across existing assets.
From HVAC optimisation and lighting control to occupancy insights, system integration and ESG reporting, smart buildings can help the overall reduction in waste, improve performance and support net zero goals in a practical and measurable way.
As extreme weather becomes harder to ignore, Net Zero Week 2026 is a reminder that sustainability cannot sit in a long-term strategy document – it needs to be built into how our buildings work every day.
And for the buildings already standing, smarter operations may be one of the most important steps forward.
