Energy use and carbon emissions
By developing and managing properties that use energy responsibly we conserve the world’s resources, reduce carbon emissions and can also reduce our costs and those of our occupiers
We have been working with the Carbon Trust and environmental consultants Arup since 2003 to develop and implement our energy benchmarking tool. This tool provides an active means of controlling energy use and associated carbon emissions in the common (landlord-controlled) areas of our multi-let properties. We use our extranet, the Portal, to collect the information and then report on it in our annual Corporate Responsibility Report.
In 2006 we developed a range of improvement recommendations for seven poor energy performing properties covering aspects such as management and control of services, lighting, space heating, ventilation and building fabric. These recommendations will be added to property specific energy performance reports and managing agents will be responsible for ensuring that they are implemented. By improving the energy performance of our properties we reduce our carbon footprint and create savings that can be passed on to occupiers through the service charge.
At Broadgate we are engaging with members of the Broadgate Environmental Working Group to manage and monitor energy use and carbon emissions for the areas they are responsible for. In 2007 they are implementing a Carbon Emission Reduction Charter, with commitments including sharing information and ideas on initiatives, and agreeing a strategy to reduce carbon emissions. In another project we are working on energy benchmarking with two of the three property occupiers at Exchange House in Broadgate, Herbert Smith and Société Générale.
We are also contributing to a British Property Federation and Usable Buildings Trust project on energy assessment, benchmarking and improvement of office buildings. This project aims to produce a simple toolkit to help evaluate the energy performance of offices and identify the ten best ways to reduce their carbon emissions. The Broadgate team is involved in fieldwork to develop and test the procedures and inform the development of the toolkit which will be of benefit to landlords and occupiers, as well as the environment.
Carbon emissions at our 201 Bishopsgate and Broadgate Tower developments are forecast to be 29% better than current standards and the buildings are on track to achieve a BREEAM rating of ‘Excellent’.
2007 feedback from occupiers
“British Land's corporate responsibility initiatives have had a very positive impact on our business. Energy management, recycling, involvement in local communities - we can use all of these when we demonstrate our London property portfolio. It forms a major part of our sales pitches and presentations. We use it as a selling point.”
Carbon Emissions
Carbon emissions at our 201 Bishopsgate and Broadgate Tower developments are forecast to be 29% better than current standards and the buildings are on track to achieve a BREEAM rating of ‘Excellent’.