ESG considerations for your property strategy

The cost of owning and/or occupying property is significant and a well-managed property strategy has long been an essential element in an organisation’s overall business plans.

As more businesses come to terms with the benefits of setting ESG focused objectives, whether that be to meet regulatory requirements, deliver cost savings or enhance brand value, there comes a wide range of additional considerations for organisations who want to ensure that their property strategy is aligned with their wider ESG aspirations.

The use and management of a building plays a large part in how sustainable the building can be. Therefore, wherever you are in your property lifecycle, we offer strategic advice to maximize current benefits and help you plan for the future.

Regulatory reporting requirements are increasing all the time. They can be either directly applicable to an organisation or indirectly through supply chain pressures, but both require organisations to embrace a lower carbon approach. The built environment is central to the reduction of carbon whether it is embodied or operational carbon and therefore an ESG focused property strategy is now more important than ever.

We’ve set out some key factors to bear in mind at each stage of the property life-cycle when considering how you can use your property to achieve your ESG objectives. Click on the orange links below to find out more.

Specific advice can be provided on each of these considerations and how you might seek to implement them either into a new lease or an existing one and to make sure your relevant policies all align so as to help further your objectives.

Site

Identification

Traditional

considerations

  • Financing
  • Surveys and searches

Enhanced ESG considerations

  • Accreditation
  • Emissions
  • Waste Management
  • Space planning
Read more

Acquisition

Traditional

considerations

  • Purchase or long- leasehold/taking lease
  • Initial works

Enhanced ESG considerations

  • Sustainable fit-out biophilic design
  • Sustainable finance
Read more

Occupation

Traditional

considerations

  • Planned preventative maintenance programme
  • Usual division of landlord and tenant obligations

Enhanced ESG considerations

  • Community driven sustainable occupation
  • Increased health and wellbeing
  • Reduced emissions
  • Cost savings
Read more

Disposal

Traditional

considerations

  • Disposal mechanism; stay vs go.
  • Income generating asset
  • Dilapidations

Enhanced ESG considerations

  • Environmental costs
  • Circular economy factors
  • UN sustainable development goals
Read more

Site

Identification

Traditional

considerations

  • Financing
  • Surveys and searches

Enhanced ESG considerations

  • Accreditation
  • Emissions
  • Waste Management
  • Space planning
Read more

Acquisition

Traditional

considerations

  • Purchase or long- leasehold/taking lease
  • Initial works

Enhanced ESG considerations

  • Sustainable fit-out biophilic design
  • Sustainable finance
Read more

Occupation

Traditional

considerations

  • Planned preventative maintenance programme
  • Usual division of landlord and tenant obligations

Enhanced ESG considerations

  • Community driven sustainable occupation
  • Increased health and wellbeing
  • Reduced emissions
  • Cost savings
Read more

Disposal

Traditional

considerations

  • Disposal mechanism; stay vs go.
  • Income generating asset
  • Dilapidations

Enhanced ESG considerations

  • Environmental costs
  • Circular economy factors
  • UN sustainable development goals
Read more

Guy Sackett

National Head of Real Estate

+44 (0)779 548 2879

guy.sackett@irwinmitchell.com

Will Scott

Partner - Real Estate Disputes

+44 (0)738 538 5919

will.scott@irwinmitchell.com

Claire Petricca-Riding

National Head of Planning & Environment

+44 (0)786 768 1990

claire.petricca-riding@irwinmitchell.com

Robert Tunningley

Partner – Construction & Engineering

+44 (0)746 835 0263

robert.tunningley@irwinmitchell.com

James Knowles

Partner – Real Estate Transactions (North)

+44 (0)791 864 1789

james.knowles@irwinmitchell.com

Ayesha Hasan

Partner – Real Estate Transactions (London)

+44 (0)771 096 6691

ayesha.hasan@irwinmitchell.com

Site Identification

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