As climate change continues to threaten the world, people have become vigilant about their lifestyle choices and more mindful about environmental sustainability, even in their workspaces.
Businesses and individuals are re-evaluating their everyday decisions and tilting towards the open and innovative environment of such sustainable shared spaces.
The concept of co-working spaces is becoming a popular phenomenon in our world today, thanks to technology.
Co-working spaces are usually membership-based. They are popular among freelancers, remote workers, and independent professionals who just need places where they could get work done for a couple of hours.
For them, it avails them the opportunity to have more control over their work lives. A major reason why it is predicted to rise more than it has now, making them the offices of the future.
According to Business Wire, the global co-working space market is expected to reach $13.03 billion in 2025 at a 12% compound annual growth rate (CAGR).
Co-working spaces do not only revolutionize the way people work. They also revolutionize the concept of offices, while also helping businesses and individuals to meet their sustainability goals and attain a better future.
What does the growth in co-working spaces signify in terms of sustainability? You might ask.
Well, here are three (3) reasons why we think co-working spaces are sustainability drivers.
They are sustainable
Co-working spaces, as they imply, follow the sharing principle.
Choosing co-working spaces does not only limit the number of offices you would ordinarily need to rent to accommodate your workers if you’re an employer. It also means your resources, supplies and other amenities will be conserved.
No room for wastage as would be the case if you were to go by the conventional office setting.
They make business sense
Sustainable co-working spaces are economically viable.
They mostly require little maintenance and are energy efficient. This means lesser carbon footprints.
A good example is CoCoon which is the largest co-working space in Hongkong. Despite its size, it requires very little maintenance because it uses eco-friendly décor and facilities.
A number of co-working spaces have huge and open common areas and courtyards, which allows them to incorporate a design philosophy of adding plants and greens in these areas to make them eco-friendly.
These plants are not only aesthetically pleasing but also improve air quality by filtering harmful toxins.
It is driven both by Individuals and businesses
Green is the new lifestyle. This means people and businesses are committing to environmentally friendly policies and doing their bit to ensure a safe ecosystem.
In fact, co-workers are most often the drivers of sustainability and do what they can to save the planet while the market, on the other hand, demands sustainability to create competitiveness.
Co-working spaces have come to stay and as the world adopts the new normal that is the green revolution, it becomes important that businesses and individuals move with the tide.
This will not only help them save money but also ensure a wholesome environment for themselves and their businesses to thrive.
Bottom line
We’re in a climate emergency and the discussion regarding sustainability is very much important now than ever before especially as there’s a target to reach net zero.
By cultivating eco-consciousness, co-working spaces are in a unique position to make a difference in the long run. To further prove their importance, more and more freelancers and entrepreneurs are prioritizing sustainability in their goals and are likely to gravitate towards work sites their match their sustainability aspirations.
What this means for the co-working spaces concept is that it will gain more prominence as organizations and individuals become more aware of the climate crisis and seek ways to reduce their carbon footprints.
