A new report from the British Property Federation and JLL has indentified some of the key challenges in decarbonising the property sector and associated industries
The British Property Federation (BPF), in partnership with JLL, has released a report today that identifies the key challenges of decarbonising the property sector, providing a series of policy recommendations.
A lack of quality data to inform carbon calculations was identified as a major hurdle to decarbonising the property sector, as well as a lack of supporting incentives from the government.
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.
The research was supported by Derwent London, Dorrington, Greengage Environmental, JLL, Maples Teesdale and TFT.
Respondees identified a lack of information and support as obstacles
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.
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 found that policy and regulatory uncertainty and a lack of financial incentives to support the retrofitting of buildings are hindering progress.
Polices proposed by the BPF to enable decarbonising the property sector 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
Without further government support, decarbonising the property sector will not succeed
Melanie Leech, chief executive of, 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.”
