Industry wide collaboration is the only way to drive the change we require

The developer which currently has almost 24,000 homes in its UK pipeline and operates in eight countries - including the US, Australia and Singapore – has been named the UK’s most sustainable housebuilder in the NextGeneration Sustainability Benchmark.

This week Lendlease also became the first company in the construction or property sector to become a member of ResponsibleSteel. Steel production is responsible for the largest percentage of emissions across industrial sectors and contributes around 7% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions. As a large customer in the steel sector, supporting the development of a ResponsibleSteel standard will allow the firm to work alongside its supply chain to accelerate the evolution of the steel industry and help address climate change.

Justin Davies, Head of Residential at Lendlease Europe, said: “Topping the benchmark again is really encouraging and testament to the hard work of everyone at Lendlease. 

“As an industry we’re all doing our own bit to improve the way we build homes. But if we are going to see the changes required to meet the UK’s commitments on climate change then we are going to have to collaborate.

“There are a number of areas where industry-wide sharing and collaborating could potentially trigger major improvements, especially in areas such as reducing embodied carbon in construction materials and establishing the best pathway to a zero-carbon future.”

While other industries are making strides in digital technology and sustainability, housebuilders are at risk of falling behind. Lendlease argue that an increase in joined up working across the industry and its supply chain could help speed up the search for solutions required to tackle major issues like climate change.

Lendlease is currently investigating the use of battery storage as a way of reducing reliance on the national grid and optimising the use of energy generated on site. Its team in the UK is working with colleagues around the globe who have had experience with the application of such technologies within their developments.

This is the fourth consecutive year that Lendlease has topped the NextGeneration sustainability benchmark. This year it was lauded for its strength in delivering environmental and site management practices, maintaining its own ‘beyond regulation’ minimum sustainability standards and its sustainable approach to design and placemaking.

The company says one of the reasons for its success is the accountability of its employees to include sustainability in their planning. Every member of the senior management team across the European region is required to report their performance against sustainability measures, which helps make it a focal point for the business.

Lendlease reviews its minimum sustainability standards each year, has committed to report annually to the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), actively supports the UK Green Building Council’s mission to transform the sustainability of the built environment, and has signed up to the Better Building Partnership’s Net Zero Carbon roadmap that it will report on at the end of 2020.

ENDS

For further information please contact:
Becky Endacott, External Communications Manager, Lendlease Europe
Email: Becky.Endacott@lendlease.com
Phone: 07725200928

Jonathan Edwards, Head of External Communications, Lendlease Europe
Email: Jonathan.Edwards@lendlease.com
Phone: 07753581086

Visit www.lendlease.com or follow us on Twitter @Lendleaseuk 

About Lendlease

• Lendlease is a leading international property and infrastructure group with operations in Australia, Asia, Europe and the Americas. 
• Our vision is to create the best places; places that inspire and enrich the lives of people around the world.
• Headquartered in Sydney, Australia, and listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, Lendlease has approximately 13,100 employees internationally.
• Our core capabilities are reflected in our operating segments of Development, Construction and Investments. The combination of these three segments provides us with a sustainable competitive advantage and allows us to provide innovative integrated solutions for our customers.
• Lendlease is behind some of London’s largest and most exciting mixed-use regeneration projects such as Elephant Park and International Quarter London. In early 2018, it was appointed by Google as lead construction partner on its landmark new headquarters’ in King’s Cross and is the preferred contractor for Birmingham’s Perry Barr development, due for completion in 2020.
• Lendlease is also responsible for the development of Euston Over Station Development, working closely with HS2, the Department for Transport and the London Borough of Camden; Network Rail and other stakeholders to optimise the outcomes for London and the UK.
• In June 2018, Lendlease announced plans for the acquisition with Starwood Capital, subject to pre-completion conditions, of The Silvertown Partnership which holds development rights in a major urban renewal project in London’s East End.
• Lendlease was recognised as the UK’s Most Sustainable Residential Developer by the NextGeneration Sustainability Benchmark for setting new standards of sustainability and customer engagement for two consecutive years in 2018, 2017 and 2016, scoring more than double the industry average. It has since been awarded the accolade for the fourth time in 2019.
• In April 2019, Lendlease won the highest accolade at Mind’s Workplace Wellbeing Awards. It was awarded the most points at April’s ceremony for excellence in promoting good mental healthin the workplace.