With healthcare estate managers facing increasing pressure to reduce operational carbon, new research suggests that a compliance-led approach to sustainability is leaving gaps in building performance. The research, commissioned by PEW Electrical, found that more than half (57 per cent) of building and facilities managers say that they rarely consider sustainability and carbon reduction beyond basic compliance. This gap is even more pronounced when it comes to lifts and escalators, with 74 per cent saying that government regulation remains the primary driver of change in sustainable lift strategies.
Further, over two thirds (71 per cent) say that they prioritise areas such as heating over vertical transport when looking to reduce carbon emissions. Together, this demonstrates that lift systems are often overlooked within wider decarbonisation strategies.
The findings also point to a range of practical barriers limiting progress. Half of respondents cite budget constraints and upfront costs as the biggest challenge to improving sustainability in vertical transport, underscoring the financial pressures facing estate teams especially as energy costs remain volatile.
However, budget constraints are not the only barrier. Other challenges include a lack of clear guidance specific to lifts (26 per cent), limited data on long-term savings (26 per cent), insufficient incentives from authorities (26 per cent), and gaps in internal expertise and training (24 per cent).
Technical challenges associated with retrofitting older systems also remain a concern, with almost a quarter (21 per cent) identifying this as a key issue.
Jason Clark, registered engineer and chairman at PEW Electrical, said: “Our research shows that, too often, sustainability is still being treated as a tick-box exercise rather than a performance priority. This is particularly true when it comes to vertical transport.
“On average, lifts account for eight per cent of a building’s overall electricity consumption, yet their performance is rarely measured or prioritised in practice. That needs to change. If we’re serious about reducing carbon emissions, we need to shift towards a more performance-led approach, where systems are actively measured, managed and optimised over time.
“And, at a time when energy costs remain volatile, improving how systems perform in-use isn’t just a sustainability issue, it’s a commercial one, too.”
LECS UK CEO Prof Dave Cooper commented: “There’s no doubt that there are energy efficiency gains being left on the table when it comes to lifts for both new installations and refurbishment projects. Our team of independent consulting engineers are increasingly specifying energy-efficient lift systems as standard, particularly on large-scale refurbishment projects targeting BREEAM accreditation. But the best outcomes are always achieved when we are engaged at the earliest design stage.”