Anica Landreneau, global director of sustainability at HOK, sat down for a video interview at Nareit’s REITworks: 2024 Sustainability & Social Responsibility Conference, held in McLean, Virginia from Sept. 10-12. Landreneau was on a panel at REITworks looking at climate scenario analysis.
Landreneau discussed the critical need for building owners to adapt to climate change and the increasing number of natural disasters. While some owners are proactively integrating climate scenario analyses into their design and updates, others have yet to establish a standard approach. Landreneau emphasized the importance of risk assessment and mitigation strategies tailored to each property’s specific needs and investment capabilities.
HOK employs a comprehensive risk assessment checklist for every project, enabling clients to navigate climate risks effectively. The firm has made significant decarbonization commitments, including achieving zero carbon operations by 2030, and establishing milestones for mechanical systems and embodied carbon in landscapes by 2040.
Landreneau identified one of the primary challenges facing the built environment as the need for grid decarbonization, highlighting the crucial relationship between buildings and renewable energy sources. As electrification trends rise and new demands from sectors like data centers emerge, understanding grid capacity and resilience is paramount.