How do you make every fit out more sustainable
The era of disposable workplaces is over. More and more customers expect sustainable workspace. That’s why, on every British Land fit out, we reuse as much as possible, incorporate bio-based materials, prioritise energy efficient equipment, design for wellbeing and support local employment. This not only cuts carbon, but also creates unique workspaces, often letting faster and delivering cost savings.
WHAT’S THE CHALLENGE?
Office fit outs account for 60-80% of a building’s whole life embodied carbon - and they come at a high financial cost1. The problem is the cycle of churn. While many buildings are designed to last 60 years, office interiors are often ripped out and replaced every eight years - typically with brand-new flooring, furniture and lighting.
If sustainability is your goal, you simply cannot strip everything out and buy new. That model generates huge amounts of embodied carbon, creates avoidable waste, uses up valuable virgin materials and can push up costs.
That’s why British Land is challenging our fit out teams to cut embodied carbon by 66% against current industry benchmarks — reaching 65kg CO2e per square metre from 20302; and we’re already achieving this impressive reduction on live projects.
WHAT’S THE SOLUTION?
Building on a year of data analysis and industry engagement, our new Sustainability Brief: Office Fit Out provides clear guidance and stretching targets for our project partners and useful insights for customers fitting out their workspace.
The most effective way to tackle embodied carbon is through retention and reuse
For all our fit out targets and requirements, along with information on how we’re continually driving improvements, explore our brief.
EXPLORE SUSTAINABILITY BRIEF: OFFICE FIT OUT
We’ve developed this Brief to help organisations take meaningful steps towards managing their sustainability impact. Based on extensive data collection and engagement with fit out professionals, this guidance is designed to accelerate progress and empower the sector to make measurable, lasting change.
RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
British Land measures the embodied carbon impact of every fit out, so we know exactly where the carbon hotspots are and how best to reduce them. This is rare knowledge in the fast-paced world of fit outs. As a result, we’ve been able to create a recipe for success that’s easy to follow.
The most effective way to tackle embodied carbon is through retention and reuse. This needs to be written in by RIBA Stage 1, before any strip-out activity begins, to capture every opportunity. Even where there is no existing fit out to reuse, similar outcomes can be achieved through materials reuse platforms and manufacturer takeback schemes.
2030+ Targets
NO MORE SITTING ON A SECRET
Did you know that chairs are often one of the highest contributors to embodied carbon in office fit outs? We now know that by specifying reclaimed chairs instead of new, we can achieve an 80% reduction in the embodied carbon of task chairs – without compromising on performance or comfort, while still looking as a good as new, and often delivering cost savings.
JOIN OUR JOURNEY
Our customers and supplier partners are supportive of our ambitions in this space. What we need now is the wider industry to up its game, so there’s a diverse supply chain to deliver the low-carbon solutions needed.
If you are fitting out space in a British Land building, contact our sustainability team to explore what we can do together. Working collaboratively, we can share innovative ideas to create sustainable, future-ready spaces for your team and business. Let’s uncover opportunities together.
sustainability@britishland.com
1 Analysis of British Land projects, using RICS whole life carbon methodology.
2 Overbury: Counting the carbon in Cat B office fit out (2024): 190kgCO2e/sqm GIA.
Explore our 2030 Sustainability Strategy: Greener Spaces, Thriving Places, Responsible Choices