The Green Property Alliance (GPA) has today announced its relaunch with a refreshed membership and a renewed purpose to stimulate industry-wide engagement on sustainability issues that impact on commercial property investment, development, management, and occupation.

Originally launched in 2008, the GPA is a committee of the Property Industry Alliance (PIA), which has a remit to facilitate closer working between leading representative bodies in the commercial property sector.

The relaunched GPA will aim to provide leadership, drive greater collaboration and consistency and provide clear, coherent and co-ordinated messaging on sustainability to key audiences, including Government.

The members of the GPA formally re-convened on the 7th September to discuss areas of common interest and priorities for the GPA including metrics & data, regulations & standards, technology & innovation, sustainable finance and policy & advocacy.

As part of the refresh, Sarah Ratcliffe, CEO of the Better Buildings Partnership has been appointed as the new chair, with the BBP also providing the secretariat.

Bill Hughes, Global Head of Real Assets at Legal & General Investment Management and Chair of the PIA, said: “I am delighted to relaunch the Green Property Alliance with a renewed purpose and focus. As the climate and biodiversity crises continue to escalate, it is vital that the sector collaborates to expedite progress and avoid duplication of effort. These aims will be at the core of the revitalised GPA and I am delighted that Sarah Ratcliffe has agreed to Chair this critical industry initiative.”

Sarah Ratcliffe, CEO of the BBP and incoming Chair of the GPA, said: “I am honoured to be taking on the role as Chair of the Green Property Alliance. Whilst sustainability has undoubtedly become a defining feature of commercial real estate investment & development, there are many challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Re-convening this hugely influential group of organisations will enable the industry to be greater than the sum of its parts and I look forward to working with the Alliance to deliver real and lasting impact.”

Editors Notes:
The Green Property Alliance (GPA) comprises of Property Industry Alliance (PIA) members together with other membership organisations representing key stakeholders in the commercial property sector. These include the Association of Real Estate Funds (AREF), Better Buildings Partnership, the British Council for Offices (BCO), the British Property Federation (BPF), the British Retail Consortium (BRC) the Commercial Real Estate Finance Council Europe (CREFCE), The European Real Estate Association (EPRA), the Investment Property Forum (IPF), European Investors In Non-Listed Real Estate (INREV), the Loan Market Association (LMA), the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the UK Apartment Association (UKAA), the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) and the Urban Land Institute (ULI).

The Property Industry Alliance (PIA) was formed in May 2006 with a remit to facilitate closer working between the leading representative bodies in the commercial property sector. Its Chairman is Bill Hughes, Head of Real Assets, Legal & General Investment Management. The PIA membership comprises the Association of Real Estate Funds (AREF), the British Council for Offices (BCO), the British Property Federation (BPF), the Commercial Real Estate Finance Council Europe (CREFCE), the Investment Property Forum (IPF), the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the Urban Land Institute (ULI).