UK Property Sector Tools Up for Climate Fight

UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) logo A number of influential property leaders have been revealed as UK Built Environment Climate Ambassadors.

These prominent leaders, appointed by UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) for their vision and unswerving commitment to climate action, are part of the real estate army which has mobilised to fight climate change ahead of the United Nations COP26 summit to be held in Glasgow in November, 2021.

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One of the ambassadors, Dame Alison Nimmo DBE, Non-Executive Director, Berkeley Group Plc, St Modwen Properties Plc & MHCLG, said:

“Let’s make COP26 our call to action. We are stewards of this now fragile planet and we must respect its limits, so future generations inherit a living and liveable ecosystem”.

The construction/operation of buildings and infrastructure is responsible for nearly 40% of global greenhouse gases. Understanding the scale of this challenge, many leading organisations recognise the urgent need to change for the good of the planet, and kick-start the high-paid green jobs revolution.

The UK’s role as host, and as the country that started the ‘industrial revolution’, has thrown a harsh spotlight on the size of the challenge, thus revealing the huge economic potential in solving this problem.

The UK Built Environment Climate Ambassadors are:

  • Chris Brown, Executive Chair, Igloo Regeneration
  • Tor Burrows, Executive Director, Grosvenor
  • Guy Grainger, Global Head of Sustainability Services & ESG, JLL
  • Bill Hughes, Head of Real Assets, Legal & General Investment Management
  • Paul King, MD Sustainability & Social Impact, Lendlease Europe
  • Kevin McCloud, Designer, Writer & Television Presenter
  • Dame Alison Nimmo DBE, Non-Executive Director, Berkeley Group Plc, St Modwen Properties Plc & MHCLG
  • Sunand Prasad, Principal of Perkins & Will, co-founder of Penoyre & Prasad and Chair, Board of Trustees at UKGBC
  • Diba Salam, Founder & Creative Director, StudioDS
  • Leila du Toit, Sustainability Manager, Canary Wharf Contractors Limited

As part of their role, the Built Environment Climate Ambassadors will champion the development of the ‘Net Zero Whole Life Carbon Roadmap’ for the UK Built Environment. This project has been established to deliver a science-based trajectory for reducing built environment emissions in line with limiting global temperature rises below 1.5 degrees. A number of these individuals will take on the additional role of ‘BuildingLife’ Ambassadors for WorldGBC, which will see them support the international campaign to promote the roadmaps and push for more progressive policies across Europe.

Julie Hirigoyen, Chief Executive at UKGBC has said that the ambassadors will help to leverage this pivotal conference to galvanise stronger commitment and action from both industry and government towards net zero carbon ahead of 2050.