Welcome to the latest edition of Sustainability Matters, your regular wrap of all things ESG from EG to make sure that you and your business are up to date with the latest news, views and opinion about all that is important in the word of ESG in the built environment.
If there is one thing that we have learnt over the past few weeks of lockdown it is kindness, compassion and respect. And how (almost) every business has done something for the communities it serves in a bid to make this difficult situation a little bit easier.
In our opening session of Sustainability Live last week, Derwent London chief executive Paul Williams, SEGRO boss David Sleath, and Built ID founder Savannah de Savary discussed the role and responsibility of real estate firms to support local communities through the built environment – and agreed that, although community engagement might sometimes be seen as “a PR puff piece” in de Savary’s words, making a real impact calls for dedication and balance between various business needs. Read more >>
They were swiftly followed by Hammerson’s group head of sustainability Louise Ellison, Central director Patricia Brown, and Evora Global director Philippa Gill sharing insight on how real estate has the opportunity to learn from this current situation and to rebuild business for a sustainable future.
“We need to be very forward-thinking as a sector in terms of how we think our sector can respond and what we think real estate will look like, what contribution it will be able to make over the next one, two, three, five, 10, 15 or 50 years,” says Ellison.
“We need to think about how we’re going to create an economy that’s much more positive and reflects society or social needs.” Read more >>
For Better Buildings Partnership chief executive Sarah Ratcliffe, how swiftly and successfully businesses have been able to adapt to the impact of the coronavirus should be mirrored in how business reacts to the many other crises it is facing.
“Covid-19 represents an immediate crisis, but we have a number of crises happening on a global level to which we need the same level of response,” says Ratcliffe. “Part of maintaining momentum is about really clearly and urgently acknowledging those other crises which are occurring, and of course one of those crises is climate change.” Read more >>
There is hope that we will come out of the coronavirus crisis soon. Already cities around the world are looking to their exit strategies, their back-to-normal strategies. The climate crisis will not be short-lived. There is a long, long road to tread before we start to unravel the damage done to the planet.
But crises always bring with them innovation, and that is certainly something we have seen in the battle to curb climate change.
A look to logistics provides just a couple of examples. All of the major logistics developers are working environmental measures into their schemes, from solar panels to green roofs and electric vehicles. One logistics firm wonders whether it can get rid of the vehicles altogether. Read more >>
For Jonathan Compton, a senior director in CBRE’s industrial and logistics team, it is imperative that logistics developers take the lead on not only offsetting carbon but on pursuing carbon negativity.
“Building design and specification are changing as warehouses constructed today will still be operational in 30 years,” he says. “It is imperative that full environmental consideration is made now, without hesitation. The key long-term challenge will be availability of power, as automation, electric transportation, and robotics becomes ingrained in our lives. This can only be achieved through renewable sources.” Read more >>
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To send feedback, e-mail samantha.mcclary@egi.co.uk or tweet @samanthamcclary or @estatesgazette
