FMJ Facilities Management magazine providing industry-specific intelligence to FM and property professionals
The British Property Federation (BPF), in partnership with JLL, has released a report today that identifies the key challenges the property sector faces as it decarbonises and provides a series of policy recommendations. Access to data is a major challenge the research identifies, with property owners and occupiers referencing it as one of the top three challenges to decarbonising. A lack of quality data makes it difficult to calculate accurate operational carbon and set realistic carbon reduction targets.
Policy and regulatory uncertainty and a lack of financial incentives to support the retrofitting of buildings are hindering progress. Transitioning to net zero comes at considerable cost, and without robust evidence of a return on investment, many property owners lack the confidence to invest in major energy efficiency upgrades.
The report reveals that 9 in 10 senior leaders surveyed by the BPF and JLL do not believe current Government policy will deliver a net zero property sector by 2050.
To ensure the property sector can meet net zero targets the BPF has set out several essential policies. These include:
- Mandate the sharing of energy consumption data between property owners and occupiers of large commercial buildings, and set up a Task Force to explore the particular data challenges faced by owners of residential buildings
- Confirm urgently the detail of the planned changes to the MEES regulations for both the domestic and non-domestic private rented sectors, and the details of the proposed new performance-based energy rating system
- Zero rate VAT on residential repairs and maintenance and reform capital allowances to incentivise investment to decarbonise
- Move towards the mandatory installation of PV and/or green roofs on large residential, commercial and public buildings
- Strengthen the criteria for a green tariff label
- Allow Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) to invest in off-site renewables
- Align, and resource, the planning system to enable the net zero transition
- Mandate the use and disclosure of Life Cycle Assessments, and set embodied carbon reduction targets
Melanie Leech, Chief Executive, British Property Federation, comments, “The property sector is fully committed to decarbonisation but there are huge barriers and costs to overcome. We need clear long-term policies, regulation and incentives to support the industry’s efforts. We urge the Government to adopt the policy recommendations in this report and to work with us to make sure we can deliver a net zero built environment by 2050.”
Guy Grainger, President of BPF and Global Head of Sustainability Services & ESG at JLL, comments, “There is no denying that the real estate industry is committed to net zero, with pledges being made at a global, national and local level, but these pledges need to be turned into credible action. Without clear incentives and regulation from Government we will continue to fall short of targets. The report highlights the insight we can garner when we collaborate and this collaboration, along with Government support is critical.”
FMJ in conjunction with Grundon Waste Management is pleased to launch the 2023 waste management and recycling survey which examines the ways in which FMs approach their waste management responsibilities.
In this, the sixth year for the annual appraisal, we know there is a greater opportunity than ever for FMs to reappraise their waste and recycling operations and help their organisations meet the growing pressure to achieve ESG goals.
We want to learn how FMs have adapted to the legislative, economic and societal changes of the past year and how they plan to meet the latest waste and recycling targets.
In this survey we’ve posed a series of questions which include insights into FMs’ waste management strategy and targets, how they’re moving towards zero waste targets, and the importance of not just meeting compliance targets but also ESG goals.
The results of the 2023 survey will be published in FMJ magazine and form the basis of a white paper co-written by FMJ and the experts at Grundon on how to approach waste and recycling strategies.
To take part click here.
