Rethinking buildings with Johnson Controls

From resilience and health to energy systems and business performance, buildings could play a much bigger role in the transition than they do

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Shaken Not Burned
July 09, 2026

Shaken Not Burned

How the world really works – so you can decide what to do next

For decades we've largely thought about buildings as fixed assets: we build them, maintain them, and expect them to provide the spaces where everyday life happens. But what if that's only part of the story?

The built environment accounts for around 40% of global emissions; much of it was designed for a different climate, and replacing it simply isn't an option. As cities become hotter, energy systems more complex and organisations more dependent on resilient infrastructure, the challenge is no longer just building better buildings – it's helping the ones we already have perform better.

In this episode of Shaken Not Burned, Felicia speaks to Katie McGinty, vice president and chief sustainability and external relations officer at Johnson Controls, about why today's buildings are becoming far more than places we occupy. Increasingly, they are capable of improving resilience, strengthening energy systems, supporting health and productivity, reducing operating costs and creating long-term value for the organisations and communities they serve.

The technology to do much of this already exists. The bigger challenge is recognising that buildings are assets capable of creating value. Rather than simply consuming resources, today's buildings can increasingly help manage them, becoming active participants in the wider systems that keep cities and economies functioning.

It's a reminder that some of the biggest opportunities in the energy transition may be standing around us. If most of the buildings we'll rely on over the coming decades have already been built, perhaps the next phase of the transition may be about unlocking more value from the infrastructure we already have.

The conversation explores:

  • Why buildings are becoming strategic assets rather than passive infrastructure

  • How operational performance is becoming a board-level priority

  • Why resilience, health and sustainability increasingly go hand in hand

  • The untapped opportunity in existing buildings and industrial assets

  • How digital systems are changing the way buildings respond to people, weather and energy demand

  • Why the next phase of the energy transition may depend less on building new infrastructure and more on improving the performance of what we already have

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