Demystifying ESG on Earth Day – Industry Perspectives

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As we celebrate Earth Day, it serves as a poignant reminder of the global need to embrace sustainable practices across all sectors, including the built environment. As climate change increasingly impacts communities around the world, the real estate sector is facing increasing pressure to adopt responsible and environmentally conscious approaches to construction and urban planning.

Against this backdrop, industry leaders from Quintain, King’s Cross, WilkinsonEyre, The Crown Estate and Stanhope PLC have come together to share their perspectives on demystifying ESG (environmental, social and governance) practices within the field. Their insights shed light on the evolving landscape of sustainability within real estate development and underline the crucial role that all commercial organizations can play in shaping a more environmentally resilient future.

As we navigate the complexities of climate change and environmental degradation, these statements provide valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities facing the built environment. From embedding sustainable behaviors within communities to championing regenerative design principles, these leaders demonstrate a collective commitment to driving positive change and building a more sustainable and equitable world for generations to come.

Clare Masters, head of sustainability at Quintain

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“Creating an energy efficient building is just one aspect of tackling the climate crisis. The real estate and development sector must ensure that low-carbon behavior becomes embedded as a way of life and habit, among other aspects of sustainability, to ensure thriving and sustainable communities.

“At our 85 hectare Wembley Park development, we continue to actively work with our residents, visitors and stakeholders to learn from changing behaviour, which is fundamental to ensuring that low carbon initiatives will succeed in the long term. From promoting active travel initiatives and installing over 300 electric vehicle charging points across the estate, to offering DIY bike repair sessions and initiating the ‘Donation for Devices’ project to tackle electronic waste : we strive to make sustainability an integral part of life at Wembley Park. for our residents and the wider community.

“We also recognize that the net zero approach in the built environment must extend to all aspects of the business strategy and be part of our supply chain process. When working on Repton Gardens, our tenth build-to-rent project, we chose our suppliers based on their sustainability credentials, processes and initiatives. By working with suppliers who share our commitment to sustainability, and using the knowledge we gathered elsewhere at Wembley Park, we have managed to make Repton Gardens our most sustainable project to date.”

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Jamie Quinn, sustainability director at King’s Cross

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“For us at King’s Cross, ESG is not just an acronym, but a way of thinking and doing. We know that around 40% of global CO2 emissions come from the built environment, so we have a particular responsibility to address its impact. This includes addressing both the pre-embodied carbon associated with construction, and the operational emissions from ongoing places and spaces once they are built.

“In 2021 we were one of the first major developments in the UK to achieve carbon neutrality and since then we have been focused on achieving carbon neutrality by 2035. One of the first steps we are taking to achieve this is to decarbonise our energy network, with work taking place later this year to create a fully electric system, completely eliminating the use of fossil fuels. We also continue to optimize our managed buildings and work with our users to reduce operational energy.

“It is useful that initiatives are emerging, such as the UK Net Zero Carbon Building Standard, which will help the industry prove that its buildings are carbon neutral and in line with the UK climate targets. King’s Cross, which will be released later this year, will be one of the first adopters.”

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Nuno Correia, head of sustainability at Wilkinson Eyre

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“As a practice based on the principles of integrated design, sustainability is a central element of our design approach. The launch of our Sustainability Manifesto three years ago was an important milestone in communicating our ESG strategy and our decarbonization commitments. We now reflect on our progress to date and set out future commitments and ambitions.

“We recently completed two major renovations (LSBU Hub and Battersea Power Station) and the most sustainable speculative office tower in the City of London (8 Bishopsgate), and what we learned from those projects around circularity and powerful design is inspiring and informing of our current work.

“Earth Day is a great reminder of the power of collective action in tackling climate change. We collaborate with others in industry and academia on research to scale retrofit and explore regenerative design approaches. We see this as crucial in the way we look to the future and support the change needed in the built environment.”

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Jane Wakiwaka, sustainability director at The Crown Estate

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“Protecting and enhancing the natural environment is a top priority for The Crown Estate. As custodians of some of Britain’s most iconic areas – both in the built environment and in nature – we are always looking for ways to reduce carbon emissions and embed sustainable practices for the benefit of future generations.

“The ways we are shaping our historic London portfolio are a clear example of this commitment. We are working closely with Westminster City Council, along with our local stakeholders, to develop ambitious plans for the public realm of Regent Street, whilst considering the need for skilled workers to deliver sustainability improvements to our heritage buildings so they can contribute to a net zero future. In addition, we are about to undertake several developments in the capital, which will not only meet high sustainability standards but also follow sustainable construction practices.

“If we are to collectively achieve our national net zero targets, we must embrace significant investment in both new and old assets. By working together we can ensure that our entire built environment remains exciting and attractive while simultaneously acting as a catalyst for a sustainable future.”

Nils Rage, head of ESG at Stanhope

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“At Stanhope we remain steadfast in our commitment to halve our carbon intensity by 2030, paying careful attention to the carbon footprint throughout the life cycle of every project we take on. We continually implement innovative technologies and construction methods that minimize the carbon levels present. This means retaining as much of a building’s fabric where we can, exemplified by projects such as 76 Southbank and Woolgate, while also delivering sustainable commercial new build schemes such as 8 Bishopsgate.

“As one of the few B Corp certified developers, Stanhope is equipped with both the resources and infrastructure to deliver truly sustainable projects in the UK. Resilient building is an ethos embedded in our corporate culture. But with that level of care also comes the responsibility to encourage others to do the same. After all, we will only achieve our Net Zero objectives if we work collectively and not in silos.

“This also requires that we sometimes inform customers, colleagues and project partners about the commercial and social benefits of responsible construction. On this Earth Day, it is important to recognize that ESG should not be given lip service in the built environment, especially if we hope to achieve the UK’s target of Net Zero by 2050.”

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