// UK retailers and landlords have joined forces in a bid to make property greener as the country seeks to reduce carbon emissions
// This moves is part of the BRC’s Climate Action Roadmap supported by over 75 retailers
UK retailers and property owners have come together to reduce the carbon emissions associated with retail properties.
The move is part of the British Retail Consortium’s (BRC) Climate Action Roadmap, which is supported by more than 75 major retailers and aims to ensure the sector, and its supply chains, are net zero by 2040, a decade ahead of the government’s target for the UK as a whole.
The protocol calls on property owners to improve energy efficiency by working collaboratively and investing in improvements such as insulation, as well as making it easier to share data on energy use.
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It also asks them to support greater on-site generation of sustainable energy, exploring options for purchasing renewable energy to drive costs down, and to consider the scope for offsetting carbon emissions through increased on-site biodiversity.
Some of the investments also include building fabric and systems installed in estates, higher EPC ratings, and shared investment in LED lighting and air conditioning.
In 2017, the full life-cycle of the industry’s sold goods had a footprint of around 215 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent — 31 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions associated with UK consumption.
BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: “The Net Zero Building Protocol is a great opportunity for retailers and property owners to work together towards a greener future. The protocol is the first of its kind to address the sustainability of retail sites with an ambition to improve energy efficiency and embrace renewable energy,”.
“Climate action demands cross-industry collaboration, and this protocol gives retailers and property owners the language and structure to create a greener property market.”
Nicki Woodhead, Head of Sustainability at WHSmith, says: “The coming together of retailers and property owners in this pioneering protocol is the impetus we need to build a greener property market.”
“Subscribing to these principles will help the retail industry get one step closer to a Net Zero future and we look forward to such principles becoming common practice.”
