Great Portland Estates' sustainability approach is an integral part of their business strategy: designed to address material risks, meet the needs of key stakeholders and enhance the long-term value of the business through responsible property acquisition, development and management.

Setting strategy and objectives

Their long term vision for sustainability is set out in "Creating Sustainable Spaces" and communicates how they plan to create sustainable places, a sustainable footprint and sustainable relationships into the 2030s.

As part of their annual sustainability strategy review, a gap analysis is undertaken to ensure that:

• Current regulatory requirements are met, and where appropriate, exceeded
• They evolve to keep pace and prepare for changes in legislation
• The strategy reflects the expectations of stakeholders
• The strategy reflects industry best practice
• The sustainability strategy is compatible with the overall business strategy

The sustainability strategy is structured around key corporate risks and industry best practice to ensure that they:

• Create sustainable spaces, reducing obsolescence
• Manage sustainable spaces, meeting changing occupiers’ demands
• Enhance the way they work with investors, the local community, suppliers and their people

Material areas addressed include:

• Engagement with investors on sustainability
• Resource management, reducing energy consumption, mitigating climate change
• Waste management
• Occupier engagement
• Meeting and exceeding regulatory and planning requirements
• Responsible sourcing
• Working collaboratively with our contractors
• Ensuring the smooth transition of our buildings through construction, commissioning, fit-out and into occupation
• Wellbeing
• Social Value

Managing sustainability

Our Sustainability Committee meets on a quarterly basis and is chaired by our Chief Executive. The Committee is responsible for the strategic direction of the Group’s sustainability policies and procedures.

Reporting on sustainability

Great Portland Estates monitor progress on their strategy quarterly through our Sustainability Policy Committee and Environmental Working Group. Their achievements are reported internally every year. To ensure transparency in their reporting, they use consultants to assure their data and progress against some targets. Where appropriate targets are included in employees’ personal objectives and are considered part of their appraisal and bonus achievement. 

To provide transparency when reporting their sustainability performance, they participate in a number of external benchmarks and ratings including:

• Carbon Disclosure Project
• GRESB
• FTSE4Good

They are also members of the Ethibel Excellence Register and align our reporting with EPRA Best Practice in Sustainability Reporting Guidelines.

This article was originally published on the Great Portland Estates website here.