The British Property Federation(BPF), has announced that it is working on a Net Zero Pledge, which will unite its members to decarbonize the built environment and achieve net zero by 2050.
The British Property Federation(BPF) President calls for radical collaboration in the property sector to accelerate learning, information-sharing, and innovation; provide more support to smaller businesses and reduce carbon emissions from the built environment.
The ultimate goal is net zero. It hopes that all members will sign the BPF Net Zero pledge by June 2023.
Collaboration is key to decarbonising our built environment and reaching net zero
The UK Government Pavilion at MIPIM was the venue where the BPF announcement was made. The campaign is designed to support all companies in UK’s property sector, regardless of whether they are established global institutions or just starting out. By connecting smaller companies with larger institutions, the campaign will support them.
The BPF believes that collaboration is the only way to unify its members in decarbonising their built environment and achieving net zero. This includes sharing ideas, best practices, and real-time lessons. Only then can real estate accelerationaccelerate the pace of change and drive innovation.
What does the BPF Net Zero Pledge ask from its members?
- Register to Net Zero Targets and Plans
- Support the UN Race to Zero, or similar initiatives, by June 2023
- Open-source research and knowledge sharing
- Encourage radical collaboration within the sector
- Help each other, particularly the smaller ones in the sector, by leveraging your experience and expertise
The campaign will officially launch following this declaration of intent at the BPF annual conference, June 2022.
‘The latest report from the UN makes for serious and sober reading we must act now’
Guy Grainger, President of BPF, and global head of sustainability services & ESG for JLL, stated:
The UN’s most recent report makes for a serious and sobering reading. We must act immediately to limit the worst effects of climate changes. The climate crisis is a major contributor to the built environment. Therefore, the real estate industry has a special responsibility to decarbonize our assets as soon as possible.
“Many of our members are leading the way during my tenure as BPF President I want to make sure that we share knowledge and good practice, support each other and that every single BPF member has started the journey and is well on the road to net zero.
‘The real estate sector has a critical role to play in tackling the climate crisis’
Melanie Leech (chief executive of British Property Federation) added:
The real estate sector plays a critical role in addressing the climate crisis. Companies are making sustainability a priority and there is an urgency.
“But this is a shared objective, and our Net Zero Pledge campaign is about accelerating the pace of change by uniting the sector behind this common goal, allowing businesses across all facets of real estate to collaborate, share ideas and learn from each other. This is a bold goal, but radical collaboration will be the only way to solve this urgent problem.
