Sustainability Isn’t a Department, It’s a Discipline: What HVAC Can Teach Us About Leadership in the Age of Climate Accountability

In 2025, sustainability is no longer a single department; it is a discipline that must be practiced across every function of an organization. Today’s most effective chief sustainability officers (CSOs) look beyond reporting and disclosure. They influence capital investment decisions, collaborate with operations and help identify savings that benefit both the bottom line and the environment, especially those with long-term impact. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) is one of the most overlooked but impactful areas for driving sustainability.

As the HVAC industry faces rising costs and mounting environmental pressures, HVAC manufacturers and design professionals need to innovate and rethink approaches. While replacing outdated systems can yield significant improvements, doing so simultaneously isn’t feasible for most consumers. That’s why maintaining and optimizing existing HVAC infrastructure is increasingly essential. Organizations that properly maintain their existing HVAC units can avoid unplanned replacements, free up capital and reduce both emissions and operational risk. For CSOs, this means paying close attention to HVAC’s full cost, including energy, maintenance and capital expenses, because that number can fluctuate quickly and may reveal hidden opportunities.

This article explores HVAC as a critical opportunity for sustainability and how CSOs can lead the charge with financial and climate responsibility in mind. It highlights the value of proactive maintenance, operational alignment and systems-level thinking to reduce costs, meet evolving regulations and build long-term resilience. The big picture: True sustainability leadership is in the details and partnerships must be forged across core building systems to solve shared problems.

HVAC: The Unsung Hero in Sustainability 

HVAC systems are the largest energy consumers in most buildings. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, they accounted for 52% of energy use in commercial buildings as of 2018. With the built environment being one of the top contributors to global carbon emissions, improving HVAC performance is a critical step toward meaningful climate action.

While trends like electrification, renewable energy and carbon offsets continue to gain traction, they don’t eliminate the untapped potential within existing building systems. Strategic diagnostics and upgrades to HVAC infrastructure can deliver significant environmental and financial returns. For sustainability leaders focused on business continuity, operational reliability and cost control, HVAC offers a compelling opportunity. It sits at the intersection of these priorities and should be a top consideration in any sustainability strategy.

Proactive Maintenance as Strategy 

HVAC equipment costs are rising sharply due to global supply chain instability, raw material inflation and new environmental regulations. One notable example is the industry’s shift away from high-global warming-potential (GWP) refrigerants like R-410A to alternatives such as R 454B, causing equipment price increases of 10% or more.

In response, many sustainability minded leaders are investing in and updating proactive maintenance strategies to extend the life of existing systems. According to the US Department of Energy, regular inspections and performance-based tune-ups can reduce HVAC energy use by 20-50%, while also improving comfort for occupants and reducing strain on facility staff. By extending equipment lifespans through these efforts, organizations can redirect capital to higher-impact sustainability initiatives, resulting in smarter, more efficient resource allocation. For CSOs, this presents a powerful opportunity to drive support for maintenance best practices as a sustainability strategy. This shift in mindset around maintenance can increase support for no- and low-cost projects, which can be implemented more easily at scale and accomplish multiple goals simultaneously, such as energy, emissions, maintenance, comfort, etc.

Harnessing the Power of Predictive Technology

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming HVAC from reactive to predictive systems. Today’s smart building technologies can identify inefficiencies, anticipate weather impacts and optimize performance in real-time. These AI-driven tools are already delivering measurable reductions in both operational costs and carbon emissions, particularly across large-scale portfolios and commercial real estate assets. For sustainability officers, AI presents a compelling way to align cross functional teams around measurable, data-driven outcomes. Predictive technologies resonate with CFOs focused on cost control and with facility managers seeking system reliability. Understanding which solutions yield real ROI gives CSOs a strategic advantage in advancing both sustainability and operational excellence.

Adapting to a Changing Regulatory Landscape 

With climate regulations evolving worldwide, HVAC systems are increasingly falling under scrutiny. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency’s AIM Act mandates phasing down hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants, directly impacting how systems are designed, maintained and procured.

Forward-looking CSOs are responding by staying ahead of compliance deadlines. They’re working closely with procurement teams to identify future-proof equipment and coordinating with legal and compliance teams to assess regulatory risks.

In today’s environment, regulatory adaptation is more than a box to check. It’s a sign of leadership. The most resilient organizations are those that respond to shifting mandates with agility, all while staying aligned with long-term sustainability goals.

Leadership Through Culture, Not Just Metrics

Technology and regulation have limits. The most enduring sustainability outcomes are driven by culture. For CSOs, internal sponsorship and organizational mindset are the most influential tools available. From the boiler room to the boardroom, lasting impact depends on turning isolated initiatives into everyday behaviors, and that requires broad buy-in from leadership, employees and contractors alike.

To build this kind of culture, effective CSOs focus on tactics such as:

• Training and education: Making sustainability relevant to individual roles.
• Supplier engagement: Extend environmental standards across the value chain.
• Procurement: Align procurement and capital projects with incentives.
• Reporting: Honest communication about progress and setbacks.

The most resilient organizations don’t treat sustainability as a side project. They embed it in their leadership DNA. This requires challenging convention and taking a broader, systems view of issues and opportunities.

What HVAC Teaches Us About Modern Sustainability Leadership

The HVAC sector is evolving rapidly, much like the broader challenges and opportunities facing CSOs in 2025. Today’s best practices demand more than vision statements and disclosures; they require systems thinking, technical fluency and meaningful collaboration across departments.

HVAC offers a clear lens into what works and what doesn’t regarding real-world sustainability. It’s one of the few areas where CSOs can make a measurable impact across multiple business functions, from design and operations to facilities and procurement. By prioritizing HVAC efficiency through proactive maintenance, smart controls, AI-powered diagnostics or low-GWP refrigerant strategies, they can demonstrate that real progress happens in the operational details, not in disclosures or headlines.

Aligning with operations teams doesn’t just improve performance, it helps shift culture with less resistance. Sustainability, after all, is no longer just about reporting. It’s a discipline rooted in foresight, built on operational literacy and sustained by cultural leadership.

As more CSOs adopt this mindset, their organizations won’t just stay ahead of regulations, they’ll become stronger, more adaptive and more resilient businesses. If you haven’t already, go talk to someone in the control room and ask about their biggest issue. That’s where your next breakthrough might begin.

About the Author: Andrew Soulier, Chief Sustainability Officer, ECM Technologies:

Andrew Soulier leads sustainability efforts at ECM Technologies, focusing on energy efficiency, market development and green practices. He oversees compliance and client engagement, helping ECMT become a global leader in HVAC sustainability. Andrew is also the founder of Net Positive Advisors and serves in leadership roles with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from ASU and a LEED Accredited Professional.