This episode is all about sustainability in the built environment: what it costs, what it's worth and why it's now winning (and losing) tenders. We're joined by Alan Stenson, CEO of Neutral Carbon Zone.

Alan's route into sustainability is anything but typical. A classically trained actor, his first big role was Telemachus in the 1997 TV epic The Odyssey, long before Christopher Nolan's version hit cinemas. He moved into sales, started his first business in the hairdressing industry, then set up Ethical Nation in 2006, back when nobody wanted to pay to talk about their carbon footprint. Today he helps businesses of every size, many of them in FM, understand exactly where their emissions come from and what to do about it. Mark doesn't make it easy for him either, playing devil's advocate on some of the biggest arguments online.

In this episode we talk about:

* From playing Telemachus in The Odyssey to running a carbon consultancy
* Selling sustainability before anyone wanted to pay for it
* Why "when you think emissions, think pound signs"
* Why your cleaning contract has a carbon footprint
* EV targets, solar car parks and the car park that charged a whole community
* Devil's advocate: is carbon actually the problem?
* AI, data centres and whether technology will save us
* Why FM is ahead of the curve, and why firms are losing tenders over carbon
* The one quick win every business should start with

If you enjoyed it, please like, comment, share and subscribe. There's plenty more to come this season.

00:00 Welcome & introducing Alan Stenson
01:22 From The Odyssey to net zero
03:31 Watching Tom Holland take on the story
05:26 What acting taught him about control
06:31 Sales, hairdressing and a first business
07:24 2006: launching Ethical Nation
09:11 Selling sustainability when nobody wanted it
09:48 "What about us?" The turning point
11:10 Old buildings, new buildings and London
12:40 Embodied vs operational carbon
14:25 Why your cleaning has a carbon footprint
16:44 Is net zero too expensive?
17:46 "When you think emissions, think pound signs"
19:47 Targets without a plan: the EV problem
21:37 The car park that charged a community
22:46 Solar car parks and a Yorkshire ferreting field
25:08 So why don't we do it?
26:12 What lockdown showed us
28:06 Climate change and the cost of living
28:32 Devil's advocate: is carbon actually bad?
31:18 Why some voices want you divided
32:24 Aviation, F1 and your online footprint
34:16 AI, data centres and hidden energy costs
36:07 Buildings that power themselves
38:12 Will AI solve climate change?
39:55 Have industries held back technology?
41:39 "I call them magpies"
44:16 How is the UK really doing?
45:36 Then vs now: losing tenders over carbon
46:45 Why FM is ahead of the curve
47:50 Why your recycling bins might be 0.01%
48:59 UK coal, gas and offshored emissions
53:25 Do planning laws hold us back?
54:47 Making sustainability core to the business
55:30 The Procurement Act: winning on value
56:09 The quick win: baseline your footprint
58:13 Wrap-up and how to reach Alan
59:10 Mark's final thoughts

This episode is sponsored by UK Protection Ltd and Bidwells.

UK Protection Ltd are specialist security experts working across the UK, providing manned guarding, event security, vacant property protection, security audits and close protection. Leading luxury retailers trust them, and they also run raid training for retail teams, taught by former specialist police officers. People first, every time. Find out more: https://www.ukprotectionltd.co.uk

Bidwells is a leading UK real estate advisor. It works in the sectors that will shape the future: science and technology, sustainability and modern living. It was the first property consultancy in the UK to become a certified B Corp. Its 600+ experts manage over £5.2bn in property assets and advise on more than 4 million acres of UK countryside and coastline. It has been doing this for nearly 200 years and still works with many of its original clients.

If you want property advice built for new technology, climate change and the people who use your buildings, visit Bidwells: https://www.bidwells.co.uk

#facilitiesmanagement #fmx #netzero #sustainability #builtenvironment #carbonfootprint #tenders #bidwells #ukprotection #careers

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