Switch
Accelerating the transition to low-carbon operations
Buildings, transport, and energy are the pillars of our physical infrastructure. By approaching decarbonization and electrification of these pillars together – in an integrated approach - companies can have a greater impact than when done in siloes.
Companies worldwide have set ambitious net-zero targets and begun the journey to reach them.
Switch meets you wherever you are on that journey, bringing relevant solutions from leading industries and helping to close the implementation gap toward achieving low-carbon operations.
Switch is a cross-sector platform for integrated approaches to buildings, transport and energy decarbonization. It helps WBCSD members to achieve low-carbon operations faster through practical and feasible solutions.
We focus on decarbonizing physical assets such as manufacturing facilities, offices, retail complexes and warehouses.
Why the integrated approach?
Integrated approaches now make business sense and drive environmental impact.
Decarbonizing operations across buildings, fleets and energy is greater than the sum of its parts. It can optimize:
Energy efficiency – up to 30% cost savings
Productivity – 25-30% CapEx and OpEx reductions
Sustainability – 20% CO2 footprint reduction whilst building resilience
For example, an integrated approach can look like this:
- Buildings: Insulation and heat pumps increase efficiency and lower heating and cooling costs.
-
Buildings + Mobility: Applying those
savings to add EV charging
capabilities meets market demand,
future proofs the asset, and can act as a storage device for the building.
- Buildings + Mobility + Energy: Generating renewable electricity on-site creates resiliency, linking with EV charging ensures all the energy generated will be used, and could turn into a revenue stream by selling back to the grid or benefiting the local community.
What does the Switch project do?
Switch provides access to knowledge, networks and tools to help businesses make the most of the transition to net-zero emissions.
Members can:
- Shape best practices – learn from others with the most up-to-the-minute knowledge, and showcase your own examples.
- Grow partnerships – Become an operational decarbonization champion, partnering and investing in collaboration.
- Mobilize projects – Access the practical tools and collaborative network to remove obstacles across the value chain and create a plan for a successful project.
How can you get involved?
Decarbonize assets: We will help you to develop and deliver a decarbonization roadmap for your own assets or collaborate with you to support the decarbonization of your clients or suppliers.
We are developing scalable decarbonization roadmaps and best practices across a range of project archetypes that outline the most common operational profiles focused on physical assets including:
- Manufacturing facilities
- Middle- and last-mile electrification
- Sustainable data centers
- Campuses
- Offices
- Retail complexes
Champion collaborative decarbonization: Join our Champions Network to learn from global partners and share your successes through best practices and expertise.
We meet at monthly Champions Checkpoints and key events such as the WBCSD Liaison Delegate meeting (May) and annual Council meeting (November).
Best practices
Contacts
Thomas Deloison
Director, Mobility & Member of the Extended Leadership Group