Property giant releases new sustainability agenda for 2016 on the back of big fall in energy use per employee across its estate

Property giant JLL has reduced energy use from its UK offices by 38 per cent per employee since 2012, the firm announced yesterday.

The figure, which was achieved as part of the company's wider Building for Tomorrow sustainability strategy, far exceeds the 10 per cent target which JLL has set itself to be achieved globally by 2017.

While the reductions are only per employee and not absolute, the firm is considering setting a more stretching target in the future.

"We are nearing the end of period the target was set for and we are looking into setting a long term and even more ambitious target going forwards," said a spokeswoman for JLL.

In its latest annual sustainability report, which details the firm's progress during 2015, JLL said it has now delivered over 7,500 hours of sustainability training to its staff through a mandatory online sustainability training course. Over 80 per cent of staff have completed the course to date, the report confirmed.

The firm also said its sustainability advice to clients has helped to save them £1.35m in energy costs.

"Building for Tomorrow was born from our desire to put sustainability at the heart of everything we do," said Guy Grainger, chief executive of JLL UK, in a statement. "Given the fact that buildings account for 35 per cent of global emissions, we have a vital role to play in reducing the environmental impact of our sector. While there is still considerable work to be done, with certain objectives still to be met, it is clear that we going in the right direction when it comes to our environmental and social ambitions."

JLL also laid out the goals it aims to reach by the end of 2016, which include engaging with more clients on the need to embrace sustainability best practices, developing a sustainability impact measurement for the real estate sector, and defining its own internal sustainability value metrics.

"In 2016, we will try and understand the total sustainability impact of JLL UK as a property focused professional services firm. This will cover our environmental impact but also the impact we have through our financial performance, business operations, community programmes and on behalf of our clients. The methodology will build on similar work we are doing for a number of our leading clients and the hope is to share our findings and the methodology for the wider property industry to learn from."

Sophie Walker, head of sustainability UK at JLL, said the firm hopes to achieve a permanent change in the way it does business. "Every day we give advice to people about buildings so we are in a unique position to have a major influence on business decisions," she said in a statement. "This year, I want us to really take advantage of this and get to a point where every transaction, every building we manage or build, and every piece of advice we give to clients, genuinely evaluates how we make buildings healthier and better connected with our communities and the natural environment."

This article was originally published on BusinessGreen's website here. 

JLL is a member of the BBP Managing Agents Partnership. More information on this initiative can be found here.