Supply chain decarbonization. What technologies reduce a warehouse’s carbon footprint?

Key findings

What are green building certifications (BREEAM, LEED)?

Certifications such as BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) are international systems for assessing buildings in terms of their sustainability.

They serve as an objective measure of a building’s environmental quality. By 2026, most new Class A office buildings in Poland will hold a BREEAM certificate at the Excellent or Outstanding level. These certifications assess, among other things, energy efficiency, water management, materials used (embodied carbon footprint), and commitment to biodiversity. However, for a modern engineer, a certificate is merely a “passport”—the true carbon footprint of a building is determined by how it performs during daily use.

Which companies are setting the trends in green technology in Poland?

Experts point primarily to the developer 7R. The company has shifted its focus from certification alone to genuine value engineering through its proprietary 7R Green Saver concept.

The 7R Green Saver concept is a suite of technologies that reduce operational CO2 emissions by more than 50%. The main technological pillars of 7R are:

1. Heat pumps instead of gas. Complete elimination of fossil fuel combustion at the facility, which drastically reduces the tenant’s Scope 1 emissions.
2. Destratifiers. Ceiling fan systems that push warm air back into the occupied zone, reducing energy losses by approximately 15–20%.
3. DALI smart lighting. LED systems equipped with motion and daylight sensors that only turn on when and where they are needed.
4. Predictive BMS. A building management system that “learns” the building’s characteristics and plans heating or cooling based on weather forecasts, avoiding sudden spikes in power consumption.

5 things you need to ask the developer about before signing a lease agreement

If you’re responsible for your company’s carbon reporting, make sure your future warehouse is equipped with the following solutions. Developers like 7R offer them as standard features in new projects.

1. PV Ready installation. Is the roof structurally suitable for the installation of a complete photovoltaic system, including energy storage units?
2. Heat pumps (air-source/ground-source). Is the building 100% electrified and ready to be powered by green energy sources?
3. Greywater management. Does the facility have rainwater harvesting systems for watering landscaping and flushing toilets (saving up to 50% of potable water)?
4. Smart Metering. Do metering systems allow for the extraction of energy consumption data broken down by specific zones (which is essential for Scope 2 reporting)?
5. EV charging stations. Does the infrastructure support charging your company’s electric fleet (reducing the carbon footprint of transportation)?

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions about ESG and Decarbonization