{"id":3000057691,"date":"2022-05-16T13:42:50","date_gmt":"2022-05-16T17:42:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/?p=3000057691"},"modified":"2022-08-02T10:10:59","modified_gmt":"2022-08-02T14:10:59","slug":"what-it-takes-to-make-your-workspace-green","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/community-stories\/member-spotlight\/what-it-takes-to-make-your-workspace-green","title":{"rendered":"What it takes to make your workspace green"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you wanted to slash the carbon footprint<\/a> of your office, where would you start? The power strips, the AC, or perhaps heating the conference rooms? What about the fuel used when employees take ride-shares to work? Would you factor in the concrete used to construct the building? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answering these questions was an Earth Day challenge for South Pole<\/a>, a profit-for-purpose firm that helps companies around the world make their business practices greener. South Pole works with clients like eBay, Nestl\u00e9, and Hilton Hotels to identify and reduce carbon pollution in their operations. This Earth Day, the company decided to recruit itself<\/em> as its newest client and make its office space at WeWork 199 Water St<\/a> in New York City totally carbon-free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was a bit of a symbolic gesture, but it was a way to invite people to have a conversation about climate,\u201d says South Pole marketing director Nick Aster. WeWork offices are already relatively low-carbon<\/a>, Aster explains, but accounting for every single bit of carbon the office produces was a cross between a tax audit and a game of Clue. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aster and his team measured the floor space to calculate how much energy went into heating and cooling. They tabulated the power used by their laptops, phones, projectors, office seltzer machine, and other gadgets. They also took stock of how their employees were getting to work. Were they walking? Riding their bikes? Taking the subway?<\/p>\n\n\n