Strategic Focus: Building Decarbonization And Energy Management Will Decouple And Transform Over 30 Years

Access this research

Access all Energy, Decarbonization & Sustainability of Buildings content with a strategic subscription or buy this single report

Need help or have a question about this report? Contact us for assistance

Executive Summary

Energy management has unlocked building decarbonization; a reduction in consumption, thanks to better management of demand, has allowed for the reduction of GHG emissions. However, as the electrification of the global economy gathers momentum and electrical grids become decarbonized, energy management will shift focus in the next 30 years to managing decentralized energy sources and ensuring supply resilience. For occupiers and building owners, a new reality in operational and capital expenditure will be realized, with greater emphasis on upfront equipment purchasing, rather than utility bill expenditure. Vendors will undoubtedly capitalize on this shift, with a rise in fully managed energy services for customers – instead of simply providing equipment and maintenance, firms will start to deliver energy production equipment and distribution management as well. This report focuses on the UK’s 2050 decarbonization pathway; real estate executives and vendors alike should leverage its predictions to prepare for the upcoming changes to the energy management landscape.
Decarbonization and energy management will decouple over 30 years
Energy management has primarily been driven by a cost reduction agenda
Today, decarbonization is firmly in the energy management driving seat
Grid-level efforts will sever the carbon-energy connection
For facilities managers, the decarbonization focus on demand and efficiency will decline
Powerful megatrends will drive fundamental change over the next 30 years
Population growth and urbanization will boost energy demand
Decarbonized electricity forces energy management to reckon with new technologies
Implications cut across skills, processes, technologies and financing
With a low-carbon grid, resource management will trump carbon management
Embodied carbon will take centre-stage from Scope 1 and 2 carbon
Energy management will be completely overhauled
Figure 1. Building energy demand over the next 30 years
Figure 2. Energy consumed by fuel source in buildings 2010-2030
Figure 3. Megatrends over the next 30 years
Figure 4. Conceptual pathway of whole life carbon

About the Authors

Harry Wilson

Harry Wilson

Senior Analyst

Harry is a Senior Analyst in the Verdantix Real Estate & Built Environment practice. Harry's research and advisory expertise centres on energy management; he leads Verdant...

Claire Stephens

Claire Stephens

Research Director

Claire Stephens is a Research Director at Verdantix, leading research into technologies and services shaping the real estate and the built environment, encompassing ...

View Profile

Other related content

Webinar
Building Digital Platforms & Operational Tech
Breaking The Silo-nce: How To Get Opera...

As attention shifts away from net zero target setting to asset level decarbonization, many firms are discovering critical disconnect between their energy management efforts and cor...

Upcoming / 24 September, 2025

Webinar
AEC
AI & The Future Of Facilities: Building...

As real estate and facilities teams rethink their tech stacks for a decarbonized, digitized future, AI is taking centre stage. This webinar explores how leading firms are applying ...

Upcoming / 25 September, 2025

Webinar
Corporate Energy Leaders
Aligning Energy Security And Decarboniz...

As firms seek measurable emissions reductions and cost savings, energy resilience is becoming a core pillar of sustainability strategy. Decarbonization initiatives, once driven pri...

17 September, 2025

Webinar
Corporate Energy Leaders
You’ve Got The Power: How To Save Money...

Did you know that energy consumers are now active players in the energy grid? The old one-way flow from a central power station to your building is a thing of the past. Now, anyo...

28 August, 2025

Webinar
Corporate Sustainability Leaders
Sustainability Reporting Simplified: Ho...

Over the last five years, firms have faced heightened scrutiny of their ESG and sustainability performance. Regulators, investors and customers are demanding more and better-qualit...

19 August, 2025

Blog
AEC
Can Humanoid Robotics Beat The Construc...

The buzz around AI at London’s 2025 Digital Construction Week event was symbolic of a broader industry shift towards embracing AI for good. Construction management software’s AI-dr...

26 June, 2025