On the fifth anniversary of the Paris Agreement, Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitments spike to reach 128 total signatories, with businesses and organisations covering over 5 million (tCO2e) of portfolio emissions.

LONDON – 9am GMT, 11 December 2020 – On the eve of the fifth anniversary of the signing of the Paris Agreement, World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) announces 18 new businesses and organisations as signatories to the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment (the Commitment).

After urging the building and construction sector to #ActOnClimate during World Green Building Week 2020, WorldGBC, together with nine international organisations sent a letter to the COP26 President, Alok Sharma, requesting a dedicated Built Environment Day at COP26. With COP26 delayed until 2021, these 18 new Commitment signatories join a strong cohort of businesses and governments leading the decarbonisation of the built environment.

As the leading initiative focused on climate action in the built environment, the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment continues to grow exponentially. Complementing initiatives such as the Race To Zero and Science Based Targets, the Commitment’s signatories take action to achieve an operationally net zero carbon portfolio by 2030 or earlier. For eligible signatories, the Commitment acts as a pathway to membership of the EP100 initiative from the Climate Group, a global initiative for energy-smart companies doing more with less energy.

Cristina Gamboa, CEO of the World Green Building Council:

“As we build momentum to COP26, the growth and impact of the WorldGBC Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment signals a leap towards sustainability in the built environment. There are now 128 total signatories, comprising 94 businesses and organisations, 28 cities and 6 states and regions. The businesses and organisation signatories now cover over 9,000 assets, 5 million (tCO2e) of portfolio emissions, 42 million m2 of total floor area and approximately USD 150 billion in annual turnover. Together with our new and existing signatories, we will work to drive sustainable buildings for everyone, everywhere.”

Fiona Walmsely, NatWest Group Head of Property Services:

“I am very pleased that NatWest Group has today become a signatory of the World Green Building Council’s Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment, on the eve of the 5th anniversary of the signing of the Paris Agreement. In early 2020, we placed Climate front-and-centre of the bank’s new purpose-led strategy.

Alongside our customer-facing climate targets, becoming a signatory of this commitment demonstrates our ambition to make a step-change in reducing the carbon emissions from the buildings that we own and occupy. This commitment builds on the good progress we have already made in this area and is fully aligned with our targets of being net zero carbon by the end of 2020 and climate positive by 2025 for our own operations. It also provides a clear future roadmap for us on how we can design-out carbon through the property investment decisions we make as a bank.”

The new Commitment signatories welcomed today are:

Arup: Multinational professional services firm committing to bring their own portfolio across 33 countries to net zero operational carbon by 2030, advocating for industry transformation and prioritising decarbonisation, adaptation and resilience on all of their design projects.

BAM Construct UK: A leading design, construction and facilities management company, providing services to the public and private sector, committed to only occupying (including temporary site buildings) and developing operationally net zero carbon assets by 2030.

Bioregional: An award-winning social enterprise and charity that develops and implements real-life solutions for sustainability, through promoting the One Planet Living® framework, creating zero-carbon communities, providing sustainable business advisory services, and influencing wider policy change

Built: One of Australia’s largest construction groups has committed to only procuring renewable electricity across their operations and tenancies and providing carbon neutral strategies to projects they develop by 2030. Additionally, Built will continue to promote smart solutions to clients to achieve carbon neutrality within the assets they design, develop and construct.

ISPT: One of Australia’s largest unlisted property fund managers, certified carbon neutral in 2020 through the procurement of 100% Australian Carbon Credit Offset Units with a focus on programmes connected to Indigenous communities. ISPT will continue to focus on energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy strategies to further reduce emissions.

Kojamo PLC: Finland’s largest private residential real estate investor and frontrunner in housing, committed to only owning assets that are net zero carbon in operation by 2030. They will implement energy efficiency measures, increase the share of renewable energy usage in portfolio and utilise artificial intelligence to improve responsive heating. They will also actively promote energy efficiency and decarbonisation of housing with their stakeholders.

NatWest Group: International banking group committed to be carbon positive by 2025, and working to help customers to thrive through the transition to a low-carbon economy, including bringing their own significant portfolio to operational net zero by 2030, and supporting innovative green financing solutions and policies that accelerate the shift to net zero.

OP Real Estate Asset Management: One of the largest property owners in Finland and part of OP Financial Group, OP Real Estate Asset Management committed to all assets within their direct control achieving net zero operational carbon by 2030. In addition to investing in renewable energy and improving energy efficiency, they will also engage in strong dialogues with a wide range of stakeholders to accelerate change within the real estate sector.

Savills (UK) Limited: Savills advises corporate, institutional and private clients seeking to acquire, lease, develop or realise the value of prime residential, commercial and agricultural property. Savills (UK) Limited or Savills UK is a subsidiary of the parent company Savills plc. Savills UK are committed to only occupying assets that are net zero operational carbon by 2030, and will advocate for industry transformation through its core business activities and clients.

Stanhope: A professional services firm, development manager and advisor to developers, investors and owner-occupiers, committed to occupy and develop only net zero operational carbon assets by 2030, advising clients to do the same and advocate for wider industry transformation.

The Crown Estate: Manages a unique portfolio that includes some of the UK’s best places to work, shop and live, including the ancient forestry and parklands of the Windsor Estate, and the seabed and half the foreshore around England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It has committed to aligning its business to a 1.5°C climate scenario, with a target to be a net zero business by 2030 and climate positive thereafter.

THREE Consultoría Medioambiental: A leading engineering and sustainability consultancy based in Mexico delivering over 100 sustainability projects, acting as an example for clients, and pushing them to pursue net zero carbon options.

Troup Bywaters + Anders: An engineering partnership providing whole-life advice for the design, construction, operation and management delivering decarbonisation roadmaps for clients. They are committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2020 and to only occupy net zero carbon operational assets by 2025.

Willmott Dixon: A privately-owned contracting and interior fit-out group, committed to only occupying assets that are net zero carbon in operation by 2030, and ensuring all new developments will achieve net zero operational carbon by 2030.

WSP UK: Committed to only occupying net zero carbon operational assets by 2025 and continuing to advocate for zero carbon standards with landlords, policy makers and wider industry through involvement in various professional bodies, as well as halving the carbon footprint of its infrastructure design projects.

These new signatories are also joined by recently announced Finnish companies Antilooppi, Granlund Oy and Trevian Funds AIFM.

Please find quotes from all organisations included in this press release here.
 

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MEDIA CONTACT

Rebecca Moir, Digital Marketing Coordinator, World Green Building Council
rmoir@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 around 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

About EP100

EP100 is a global initiative by the Climate Group, bringing together a growing group of energy-smart companies committed to doing more with less to improve their energy productivity. Members are driving tech innovation and reducing emissions while making substantial cost savings and improving competitiveness – inspiring others to follow their lead. EP100 is delivered in partnership with the Alliance to Save Energy and in association with the World Green Building Council’s Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment. #EP100

Signatories of the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment also include leading state and regional governments in the Under2 Coalition, of which the Climate Group is Secretariat.