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Two new companies join WorldGBC’s Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment

The World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) welcomes two new additions to its Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment: Hilson Moran and Rest Direct Property Holding Trust.

LONDON – 9:00 AM BST, 30 June 2021 – Today, WorldGBC announces two new organisations as signatories to its Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment (the Commitment), signalling growing global industry leadership to decarbonise the built environment and combat climate change.

The Commitment now has a total of 143 signatories, with 109 businesses & organisations, 28 cities and 6 states & regions. The businesses and organisations signed up to the Commitment now account for over 5.5 million (tCO2e) of portfolio emissions.

 

Cristina Gamboa, CEO, World Green Building Council:

“Building to COP26, climate action leadership is more important than ever. With Hilson Moran and Rest Direct Property Holding Trust joining the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment, our movement continues to gather support from across the value chain to decarbonise our sector. As WorldGBC works to ensure that buildings take centre stage at COP26 through the ‘Cities, Regions and Built Environment Day’, examples of leadership demonstrated by Commitment signatories will be front and centre.”

 

Hilson Moran

Hilson Moran is an environmental engineering consultancy involved in the design of large commercial projects in the UK and around the world. They provide consultancy on building services, sustainability, energy performance and certification with a passion to reduce the environmental impact of projects through good design. Committed to only occupying assets that are net zero carbon in operation by 2030, Hilson Moran advocates for industry transformation by introducing clients to building certification systems, and by expanding their outreach as part of the NABERS UK independent design review panel. As part of their commitment they will implement a detailed roadmap to reduce carbon emissions and increase renewably sourced energy within occupied assets.

 

Rest Direct Property Holding Trust

Rest is one of Australia’s largest profit-to-member superannuation funds with around A$60 billion in funds under management and 1.8 million members. To help their members achieve their personal-best retirement outcomes, they support actions for a better, fairer, and more sustainable future. Joining the Commitment will help contribute towards Rest’s long-term objective to achieve a net zero carbon footprint for the fund by 2050. As such, they committed to only owning assets that are net zero carbon in operation by 2030, achieve a minimum 5 to 5.5 stars NABERS energy rating for all new and existing buildings, and to promote the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment to stakeholders including tenants, Rest members and the wider property investment industry.

 

Steve Johnson, Technical Director, Hilson Moran:

“The damaging effects of climate change are now more clearly understood than ever. To begin to mitigate these effects, a substantial shift away from carbon emissions is necessary – which is why we are pleased to join the WorldGBC Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment. As environmental engineers, we recognise that our carbon footprint is small in comparison to the construction and refurbishment projects we work on every day. We commit to lead by example, promoting best practice in low energy design, ensuring occupant health and wellbeing, and enabling buildings to operate as the design intended.” 

 

Andrew Lill, Chief Investment Officer, Rest:

“As one of the largest profit-to-member superannuation funds in Australia, we believe that contributing to the transition to a lower-carbon global economy will open up investment opportunities for our members, and help protect their retirement savings from the risks of climate change. Committing to net-zero carbon operations on our directly owned property assets by 2030 and collaborating with the World Green Building Council are important parts of Rest’s long-term objective to reach net-zero for the whole fund by 2050.” 

  

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MEDIA CONTACT
Rebecca Moir, Digital Marketing Coordinator, World Green Building Council

media@worldgbc.org
Editor’s Notes

The Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment comes from Advancing Net Zero, WorldGBC’s global project to accelerate uptake of net zero carbon buildings to 100% by 2050. The project works with the global Green Building Council network to develop tools and resources, including net zero carbon buildings certification schemes and training programmes.
The Commitment was launched in September 2018 at the Global Climate Action Summit. It promotes and inspires leadership action on an advanced trajectory from business, governments and NGOs, to scale up responses to net zero carbon buildings through corporate and policy action.
See the full profiles of company signatories and what they are committing to here: https://worldgbc.org/commitment-signatories
About the World Green Building Council

The World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) catalyses the uptake of sustainable buildings for everyone, everywhere.
Transforming the building and construction sector across three strategic areas — climate action, health & wellbeing, and resources & circularity — we are a global action network comprised of 70 Green Building Councils around the globe.
As members of the UN Global Compact, we work with businesses, organisations and governments to drive the ambitions of the Paris Agreement and UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development. Through a systems change approach, our network is leading the industry towards a net zero carbon, healthy, equitable and resilient built environment.

www.worldgbc.org