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ARTICLE · 31 MAY 2024

Environmental Performance In Office Buildings: Why Should Landlords Care?

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The real estate sector is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions in the UK, thought to account for around 25% of the total, yet it also represents one of the least regulated.

United KingdomEnvironment
Felicity Lindsay
Felicity Lindsay
Jane Reyersbach
Jane Reyersbach
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The real estate sector is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions in the UK, thought to account for around 25% of the total, yet it also represents one of the least regulated. This may however be about to change. In 2022, Friends of the Earth and others managed to successfully persuade the High Court that the government's Net Zero Strategy, which set out plans to decarbonise the economy, failed to meet obligations under climate change legislation.

Other than the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) regime and the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) Regulations, there is not a great deal of UK legislation regulating the environmental performance of commercial property. Many also question whether EPCs are fit for purpose. In order to reach anywhere close to net zero in accordance with government targets, new regulation is required. Environmental accreditation schemes are one area that may receive greater attention.

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