The Commons coworking spaces now officially carbon neutral

All 11,000 m² of office space owned by coworking operator The Commons is now powered by 100% renewable energy, and officially carbon neutral as a result.

The Commons is currently home to over 1000 members, with locations in Collingwood, South Melbourne and most recently in Sydney. The company will also launch Melbourne CBD and Cremorne locations in 2019, with hopes to add a further 10 sites to its portfolio in coming years.

As explained by CEO and co-founder Cliff Ho, it was The Commons’ desire to be seen as the best alternative to a traditional commercial office space that drove its focus on sustainability. The company’s efforts have already saved approximately 16 tonnes of CO₂ per location each month, totalling more than 575 tonnes of CO₂ emissions saved each year.

“Following a little research, we discovered that in Australia commercial buildings account for roughly 10% of the nation’s overall energy consumption,” Ho said. “Climate change is a serious global issue so we want to make sure that we are as socially responsible as possible.

“The out-of-pocket cost may be higher initially — around an additional 35% more than non-renewable energy — but knowing that we’re reducing our impact on the environment — and, in turn, contributing to the future of our members and their loved ones — is enough to warrant the additional finances upfront.”

Encouraging its members to also adopt a sustainable attitude in 2019, The Commons is replacing plastic cups with re-usable aluminium alternatives at all office locations, while paper hand towels will make way for hand dryers powered by the company’s renewable sources.

“Our members love knowing that all their devices and work is powered by Mother Nature, so it’s important for us to continue introducing new sustainability measures,” Ho said. “It is our hope to also inspire other companies to adopt a renewable attitude too.”

Each office will also provide members with paper, recycling and landfill bins, while compost bins will feature at The Commons’ new office locations set to open in 2019.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/morganka

Please follow us and share on Twitter and Facebook. You can also subscribe for FREE to our weekly newsletter and bimonthly magazine.