Lend Lease | Every Action Adds Up
Advocacy
Detail
Contents
- Working in Partnership for a Better Built Environment
- Working with Leaders
- Advocating through the Public Policy Process
- The Efficient Building Scheme
Working in Partnership for a Better Built Environment
We are implementing strategies that address our impacts and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions globally by partnering with some of the world’s leading thinkers on the built environment, climate change and sustainability. In the past year Lend Lease has participated in and contributed to the work of the following organisations.
- World Green Building Council
- Lend Lease is a founding member of green building councils in the USA, UK, UAE, Argentina and Australia and has assisted with establishment of green building councils in Spain, Romania, Netherlands, Poland, Italy, China and Malaysia, New Zealand and South Africa
- UK Green Building Council – Chair
- US Green Building Council - Director
- Green Building Council of Australia - Director
- United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Sustainable Building & Climate Initiative (SBCI)
- The World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on the Future of Sustainable Construction
- The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (Lend lease is one of six Australian members)
- The United Nations Environment Program Finance Initiative Property Working Group
- The United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment
- The Global Reporting Initiative Real Estate and Construction Sector Supplement (of which Lend Lease is a founding member)
- Singapore Building & Construction Authority’s International Panel of Experts (IPE) on Sustainability of the Built Environment
- The Australian Government’s Department of Climate Change & CSIRO Climate Adaptation National Research Flagship Stakeholder Group
- The Australian Building Codes Board
- The NSW State Government Climate Change Council.
Lend Lease also works globally on climate change issues with a range of not for profit organisations including The Climate Institute, WWF, the Australian Council of Trade Unions, and The Carbon Trust.
United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment
The Principles for Responsible Investment are voluntary and aspirational guidelines aimed at helping investors integrate consideration of environmental, social and
governance issues into investment decision-making and ownership practices.
Lend Lease's Investment Management business became a signatory to the Principles for Responsible Investment in September 2007—the first global property investment manager
to become a signatory. As at May 2009, more than 500 global investment institutions, managing more than USD$18 trillion of assets, had signed up to the six Principles.
Becoming a signatory to the UN Principles of Responsible Investment is in line with our philosophy to create value for all stakeholders by delivering positive economic,
environmental and social outcomes. To date we have employed many of the suggested actions across its wholesale product platform globally, in line with a Sustainable
Responsible Investment Policy we launched in June 2007.
Rod Leaver, Global CEO of Lend Lease Investment Management, said: ‘At Lend Lease we have long been aware of the competitive advantages associated with sustainability and responsible property investing; however, it is also increasingly
becoming a key subject of interest to our investors. By becoming signatories, we are better positioned to engage with the investment community on the benefits of responsible
property investment via a framework that is globally recognised and endorsed.’
Working with Leaders
Lend Lease has committed itself to work in partnership with the Clinton Climate Initiative on opportunities to significantly reduce the environmental impact of buildings through maximising energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
In November 2008, Lend Lease Investment Management and the Clinton Climate Initiative signed a Memorandum of Understanding to create a collaborative relationship focusing on existing building refurbishment opportunities.
In May 2009 at the C40 Summit in Korea, the Clinton Climate Initiative launched a new global program, developed in collaboration with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Called the Climate Positive Development Program, it will support the development of large-scale urban projects to demonstrate that cities can grow in ways that are “climate positive.” Two Lend Lease projects, Victoria Harbour in Melbourne and Elephant & Castle in London, are amongst the first of 16 projects in 10 countries across six continents.
Lend Lease is also committed to ensuring that the landmark 7.5 hectare Barangaroo project which spans nearly a kilometre of harbour foreshore in Sydney will be a climate positive development.
To reduce the net greenhouse gas emissions of these projects to below zero, property developers and local governments will agree to work in partnership on specific areas of activity. This includes implementing economically viable innovations in building, the generation of clean energy, waste management, water management, transportation, and outdoor lighting systems.
When the initial 16 projects are completed, nearly one million people will live and work in Climate Positive communities. www.clintonfoundation.org/cci
Advocating through the Public Policy Process
Lend Lease’s Global Sustainability Group has a significant role in leading the company's external advocacy activities on a number of sustainability-related policy areas through engagement with regulators and policymakers, and also in the public arena through the media.
As well as promoting and protecting the interests of Lend Lease, these activities are aimed at promoting sustainability objectives in the built environment, and particularly at enabling the industry to be part of the solution to climate change.
In the past three years, we have made many representations to governments at all levels as well as the following submissions to government consultations, enquiries and requests for information:
- October 2007 - Lend Lease submitted a response to the “Consultation on the implementation proposals of the Carbon Reduction Commitment” for the Climate & Energy: Business and Transport Division of the UK Government's Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs regarding its proposed mandatory emissions trading for large commercial and public sector organisations.
- December 2007 - Lend Lease released a joint Position Paper on Emissions Trading & The Built Environment at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali, calling on delegates to include the built environment in their discussions and, ultimately, to include the built environment in a global Emissions Trading Scheme, as the best way of realising the enormous abatement potential in the built environment.
- February 2008 - joint submission to the Australian Federal Department of Climate Change on the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting System in response to the Regulations Policy Paper regarding mandatory corporate reporting of primary energy consumption.
- February 2008 - joint submission to the Australian Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts in response to the Concept Report (Consultation Draft) on the Mandatory Disclosure of Commercial Building Energy Efficiency.
- March 2008 - response to the consultation on proposed United Kingdom auction design for use during Phase II EU Emissions Trading Scheme conducted by the Climate and Energy: Business and Transport Division of the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
- April 2008 - joint submission to the Australian Garnaut Climate Change Review in response to Issues Paper—Forum 5: Transport, Planning & the Built Environment. A subsequent submission was also made in response to the Emissions Trading Scheme Discussion Paper, including a detailed description of our position in regard to the role of buildings in emissions trading through an integrated Emissions and Efficiency Trading Scheme.
- May 2008 - joint submission to the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism on proposed amendments to the Energy Efficiency Opportunities Regulations 2006 (Australia).
- September 2008 - joint submission in response to the Australian Federal Government's Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme Green Paper. In response to feedback to earlier advocacy for an integrated Emissions and Efficiency Trading Scheme, this submission presented an updated position: a call for a complementary sector-specific trading scheme to provide an incentive to drive energy efficiency improvements in non-residential buildings.
- February 2009 - joint submission to the Australian Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts in response to the Concept Report (2nd Consultation Draft) on the Mandatory Disclosure of Commercial Building Energy Efficiency.
- February 2009 - submission to NSW Independent Pricing and Regulation Tribunal’s (IPART) review of NSW Climate Change Mitigation Measures: Other Industries – Issues Paper.
- March 2009 - submission to the United Kingdom’s Department for Communities and Local Government in response to the Definition of Zero Carbon Homes and Non-Domestic Buildings: Consultation.
- March 2009 - joint submission to the Australian Department of Climate Change in response to the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Amendment Bill 2009 – Exposure Draft Comments Template.
- April 2009 - Lend Lease’s Global Head of Sustainability Maria Atkinson appeared before the Australian ‘Senate Select Committee on Climate Policy’. Evidence provided included a simple, equitable and efficient solution that would unlock the potential greenhouse gas savings that can be achieved by increasing the energy efficiency of non-residential buildings – The Efficient Building Scheme.
- April 2009 - submission to the Australian Federal Treasury Secretary’s review in response to Australia’s Future Tax System: The Henry Review.
- June 2009 - submission to the United Kingdom’s Department of Energy & Climate Change in response to the Consultation on the Draft Order to implement the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC).
- November 2009 – joint submission to the Australian Senate Economics Legislation Committee Inquiry into the Safe Climate (Energy Efficient Non-Residential Buildings Scheme) Bill 2009.
- February 2010 – Lend Lease's Global Head of Sustainability Maria Atkinson appeared before the Australian Senate Economics Legislation Committee as part of its Inquiry into the Safe Climate (Energy Efficient Non-Residential Buildings Scheme) Bill 2009.
- February 2010 – joint submissions (supplementary + second supplementary) to the Australian Senate Economics Legislation Committee Inquiry into the Safe Climate (Energy Efficient Non-Residential Buildings Scheme) Bill 2009.
- April 2010 – joint submission to the Australian Senate Standing Committee on Environment, Communications and the Arts Inquiry into the Building Energy Efficiency Disclosure Bill 2010.
The Efficient Building Scheme
The Efficient Building Scheme was developed through 2008 by Lend Lease, green building engineers WSP Lincolne Scott and their specialist sustainable design service, Built Ecology. Advice was also provided by the Climate Change team at law firm Freehills.
Buildings are responsible for up 80% of greenhouse gases in cities globally. The Efficient Building Scheme, which has been designed to complement emissions trading schemes and regulatory frameworks around the world, will reduce these greenhouse gas emissions by up to 50% by 2020.
"No government – let it be in an
industrialized or in a developing country – can leave buildings
out of its policy toolbox if it wants to save energy and reach
serious greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.” Finnish
Minister of Housing, Mr. Jan Vapaavuori
“Know-how has recently developed that we
can build and retrofit buildings to achieve 60–90% savings as
compared to standard practice in all climate zones.” Director of
the Center for Climate Change & Sustainable Energy Policy,
Central European University, Dr Diana Urge-Vorsatz
This has been our consistent message to
policymakers around the world as we have advocated the
‘Efficient Building Scheme’ as the best solution to simply and
cost-effectively halve emissions in cities by 2020 by driving
substantial energy efficiency improvements in office buildings,
hotels, shopping centres, public buildings, hospitals and
schools.
The Efficient Building Scheme also promises
much more - it would stimulate job growth and innovation,
deliver health and productivity benefits and, by reducing
demand, it would avoid the need for additional investment in
energy infrastructure.
We have presented the Efficient Building Scheme to countless government and business representatives and leaders in the UK, US and Australia since October 2007.
The following summary provides some
highlights of our advocacy of the Efficient Building Scheme.
Efficient Building Scheme Legislation introduced into the Australian Senate
In September 2009 legislation that would effectively enact
the Efficient Building Scheme was introduced into the
Senate of the Australian Federal Parliament by the Greens
political party. The vote on the legislation was deferred
pending a formal inquiry into the Scheme. Read our submissions to the enquiry here:
- Lend Lease WSP Lincolne Scott AE Safe Climate Senate Submission
- Senate Economics Committee Supplementary Submission Feb 2010
- Senate Economics Committee Supplementary Submission No 2
Click here to read the
legislation
http://greensmps.org.au/webfm_send/232
RAND Corporation promotes Efficient Building Scheme to US Policymakers
In September 2009 a study by the Rand
Corporation (http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR728/)
on what governments need to do to improve the energy performance
of buildings, commended the Efficient Building Scheme to US
policymakers, concluding that:
“Commercial real estate may be
sufficiently unique in terms of longevity of assets, diversity
of building types, and financing and leasing characteristics to
merit specifically tailored white-certificate/abatement programs
such as Australia’s Efficient Buildings (sic) Scheme.”
International discussions
Our various international discussions have
clarified the fact that if we are to reduce carbon emissions in
the real estate and construction sector, we need to enable:
- Market benchmarking and decision-making through robust labelling: Policymakers need benchmarking for setting building codes and for development planning. Shareholders need it for investment decisions. Organisations need it for leasing and purchasing decisions.
- Accurate reporting – whether this is for voluntary reporting indices such as Global Reporting Initiative, Dow Jones Sustainability Index, or the Carbon Disclosure Project, or for national inventory reporting under the Kyoto Protocol and its successor.
- The direct monetisation of carbon.
The fundamentals of the Efficient Building Scheme can deliver on all three, and can do so simply, fairly and cost-effectively, based on a single set of robust, accurate, unassailable data on greenhouse gas emissions from buildings that is also readily accessible:
- energy consumption (electricity and gas bills, including any on-site energy generation);
- building type (office, hotel, retail, school, etc); and
- location (climatic zone and/or economic centre).
The following straight-forward calculations can then be made:
- energy intensity (kWh/m2/annum); and from this -
- carbon intensity (tCO2e/m2/annum using official greenhouse gas emission coefficients for fuel sources).
From this single data set the opportunity is there for any government – from both developed and developing countries - to simply and cost-effectively enable national benchmarking, accurate reporting, and direct monetization of carbon.
This all ties in with the work on common carbon metrics being coordinated by the United Nations Environment Programme Sustainable Buildings & Climate Initiative (UN SBCI) to address three types of carbon information:
- National Inventory and ideally emissions trading (Efficient Building Scheme methodology);
- Disclosure of potential performance for customer education/decision making (Carbon Disclosure Tool); and
- Disclosure of operational impacts against the potential performance of the building (Carbon Disclosure Tool)
Supporters of the Efficient Building Scheme
The following individuals believe "that the Efficient Building Scheme is an effective, low-cost solution for carbon emissions in non-residential buildings, and that it provides a pathway to a prosperous low-carbon future for us all."
| Tim Flannery | Professor, Macquarie University; Chair, Copenhagen Climate Council | International |
| Greg Bournes | CEO, WWF-Australia | Australia |
| Nicky Gavron | Member, London Assembly; founding member, C40 | UK |
| Joe Van Belleghem | Founder, Canada GBC; Green property developer | Canada |
| Jerry Yudelson | US Green building consultant and author | USA |
| Craig Roussac | General Manager, Sustainability Safety & Environment, Investa Property Group | Australia |
| Rod Leaver | CEO (Asia Pacific), Lend Lease | Australia |
| Steve McCann | CEO (Global), Lend Lease | Australia |
| Rick Fedrizzi | President & CEO, US Green Building Council | USA |
| *David Gottfried | Founder, US & World Green Building Councils | International |
| Alfonso Ponce-Alvarez | French Ministry for Sustainable Development | France |
| *Sara Hayes | Teigland-Hunt | USA |
| David Glover | Arup | International |
| *Stuart White | Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney | Australia |
| Caitlin McGree | Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney; National Energy Efficiency Framework Taskforce member | Australia |
| Peter Sharratt | WSP | UK |
| *Jeff Angel | Total Environment Centre | Australia |
| Stéphane Pouffary | International Affairs Division, ADEME (French Environment and Energy Management Agency); Chairman, Climate Change Think Tank, United Nations Environment Programme – Sustainable Buildings & Climate Initiative | International |
Efficient Building Scheme – background information
Read the detail on the Efficient Building Scheme by clicking here and view discussion on the Efficient Building Scheme by viewing the following videos:
The Efficient Building Scheme can also be access via YouTube click here
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