It is estimated that nearly 40 per cent of global carbon emissions can be attributed to the property industry, split between buildings in operation and new construction.

The built environment is very carbon intensive, primarily due to materials used in construction and the energy required to operate a property, through its lifespan.

As a result, major changes to the way the property industry builds, maintains and recycles its assets are inevitable, if Scotland is to achieve its net zero status by 2045.

Some organisations will meet this target, it is likely that others will fall short, but this is the trajectory that Scotland is moving towards. So broadly speaking, if you have a property that is currently energy and carbon intensive, it is in danger of becoming a stranded asset. Eventually, it will become impossible to lease or sell it and this will impact its position in the market – it becomes an untenable property with diminished value.

The Climate Change Act Scotland 2009 (Section 63) and The Assessment of Energy Performance in Non-Domestic Buildings (Scotland) Regulations 2016 outline the relevant legislation requiring building owners to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions across non-domestic/commercial buildings.

There is no minimum EPC rating when selling or leasing a building with a floor area over 1,000m² in Scotland (unlike in England and Wales), with the approach instead based on demonstrating equivalence with the 2002 Scottish Building Regulations or later. The Regulation introduced in 2016 is a mechanism that is currently being used to prevent poorly performing buildings being sold or let in Scotland, unless energy improvement measures are undertaken. However, more recently we have seen a more societal and reputational push, where it is the occupiers and the market in general, that are demanding more energy-efficient buildings.

An alternative way to ensure your property remains viable and on track to achieve net-zero emissions by 2045 is by reducing the carbon emissions.

So why does it matter? Ignoring the path to net zero is a high-risk strategy. You might already be in danger of becoming stranded – unlettable or unsellable – and that is when there is a major risk to your asset. All the work that we do around these trajectories and implementation of measures to reduce carbon and energy is to ensure your asset remain commercially viable in the short and long term.

As an industry, we tend to focus on the kilograms of CO2 that our properties emit and kilowatt-hours of energy that our buildings consume, or what could be termed “carbon tunnel vision”.

However there is so much more. The concept of “social value” is used more and more by commercial real estate companies to measure the impact that properties have on local communities and society.

Relationships are key. The bottom line is designing spaces that nurture relationships. The best and most effective way to make the office an integral part of people’s lives is by designing in connection. Office buildings must become more than simply a space to work – but a place to build connected communities, both within and outside our offices.

With businesses seeking to attract and retain the best staff, the building and space they occupy now serve as a key talent magnet. Occupiers will favour offices that encourage their employees to journey to the city centre – design needs to attract people into the office.

That means they need to offer an experience beyond just the working day and developers are really starting to take this on board. Adding attractive rooftops or street level gardens and allotments, event and community spaces, and gallery space will help make these buildings destinations, rather than simply workspaces.

Yet, while the focus in the post-Covid world of work centres on design, it is not all about buildings. The spaces between the places also have an important role to play in creating the best human experience. This is where private and public can work together to transform areas within the city into safe and accessible spaces, such as Princes Street Gardens, one of the most important urban parks situated in the heart of Edinburgh.

Developers and occupiers are starting to increase the provision of green space in and around their office buildings. A good example is Barclays’ new campus in Tradeston – the bank took a derelict brownfield site in an under-invested area and created a city centre park, delivering space for both employees and the local community. In dense urban environments where green space is limited there are techniques that landlords and tenants can use to enhance the sense of nature within a building. Adopting biophilic design in an office is a good example of this. Transforming urban areas through the introduction of plants and green space can create a more pleasant place to live and work, to commute through and generally a biodiverse rich space to enjoy.

But what does this all mean to the look and feel of offices in Scotland going forward? What does a sustainable office look like? You may well ask, and perhaps you might be disappointed by the answer; that is not much different to what you think of as an office today.

There are subtle differences though. Energy efficiency with clever carbon neutral design. Collaborative spaces and different laptop docking stations to support hybrid and mixed preferences to ways of working.

Cycle-in access ramps plus hotel quality showers, changing and cycle facilities to encourage active travel and improved wellbeing. EV charging points. In some cases, even areas in the building dedicated to events for the wider community.

The variance is in the building’s internal engine – how it works, and how it best serves its occupiers, the street it sits on and the city it belongs to.

David Cobban is head of Glasgow office at property firm Savills