Background
A business where the mission is the day job
x+why isn't a workspace brand that bolted sustainability on. It was founded as a B Corp, built around a triple bottom line, and has grown into a UK-wide network of hospitality-led workspaces with the mission “to change the way the world works, and meets, for good” on those same terms.
“Sustainability is a really big part of our DNA, and people genuinely drive the mission across the board. It's also where we attract talent: people come in with the same purpose-driven drive already in them.” Summer Lowe
For Summer, that shapes how sustainability gets done inside the business. Carbon accounting and reduction isn't the remit of a siloed sustainability team. It sits within a wider transformation role, alongside the systems, processes and change work that keeps the business moving. It also shapes what x+why chooses to take on.
“Sustainability being part of my wider transformation role, rather than something separate, means it's built into how we operate. We're clear that we can't do everything, but the things we do, we want to do well. We're not here for the sticker.” Summer Lowe
Before TrackZero
A three-stage journey to owning the numbers
x+why measured its first footprint in 2022 and, like most businesses starting their journey, “took a stab at it the best we could.” In 2023, they brought in consultants to build a carbon reduction plan, a validated baseline, and Science Based Targets validation.
With that solid foundation in place, they made a decision most SMEs are nervous about: they brought the ongoing carbon accounting in-house. Not to redo the work, but to go deeper into it.
“It's reflective. You look back and go, okay, yep, I did spend that money, and that has cost me this much carbon. Bringing it in-house made us a lot more aware and accountable.” Summer Lowe
They ran their first in-house year on the same platform their consultant had used, a welcome step up from the very early days, when everything sat in a spreadsheet and “understanding the GHG Protocol and translating the emission factors into said spreadsheet was a mission and a half.” The platform did what it needed to do, but when that first year was complete, Summer already knew where to go next.
Why TrackZero
A relationship as much as a decision
Summer had been talking to the TrackZero team for a while by the time x+why needed a new home for their carbon accounting. They'd seen the product, seen the roadmap, and knew where things were heading.
On the platform side, two things sealed it. TrackZero's multi-site setup meant every building could be tracked separately without the licence cost climbing significantly with the estate, which is important for a workspace brand with sites across four regions. And when Summer raised supplier engagement as the biggest concern, the answer was already there.
“There wasn't really a question in my mind about where I wanted to go. I could see the value, and I could see where the product was going. We love the team, we believe in the people, and we believe in the product.” Summer Lowe
What TrackZero changed
Clarity, confidence and rhythm
Ask Summer what TrackZero has given x+why, and three words come back. Clarity, first: on the process itself, and on the data, the factors and the emissions behind every number. Confidence, second: that they're not missing anything, and that they can stand behind what they put out into the world. And a third, smooth.
“Carbon is easy to make complicated, and TrackZero has simplified it while keeping all the detail.” Summer Lowe
That “carbon clarity”, as Summer calls it, changes what the team notices. Beyond the top-line footprint, they can see the emission cost of specific decisions and trace it back to the source.
“That table I bought was actually four times as much carbon as the other table I could have bought. You wouldn't necessarily get that granular level of accountability from a consultant.” Summer Lowe
It's the kind of insight that only shows up when you're inside the data yourself.
The structure has also reshaped how the work gets done across the year. What used to be a year-end rush is now a running rhythm, with suppliers and the facilities team knowing exactly what data is needed and when.
“It's forced us to be better at bookkeeping throughout the year. It's not a scramble anymore, my suppliers and our facilities team know what they need to give me.” Summer Lowe
Because everyone across x+why now contributes data for their own buildings, involvement in the numbers has spread well beyond the sustainability function. As Summer puts it, “Everyone's involved in sending the data. People feel really involved.”
The outputs do the reporting job, too, with x+why's 2025 impact report built on the footprint measured in TrackZero.
What's next
Suppliers, integrations and reinvestment over offsets
The next chapter for x+why is already mapped out. High on the list is supplier engagement, the area Summer flagged as a struggle when first speaking to TrackZero, and one they're looking forward to switching on.
On the reduction side, the position is also clear. x+why doesn't offset. A few years ago, when almost everyone in the sector was, they deliberately chose to reinvest that money in forward-thinking technologies and green futures instead.
“We'd rather invest that money in things that move the world forward.” Summer Lowe
For a business where the mission is the day job, that fits.
x+why's story is one a growing number of businesses will recognise: past the point of needing a consultant, and ready to own the work themselves. TrackZero is built for exactly that stage.
x+why is a B Corp certified, purpose-driven flexible workspace operator with sites across Milton Keynes, Manchester, Birmingham and London. Find out how TrackZero supports in-house sustainability teams at trackzero.eco/platform.
