15 November 2022 – Westminster Property Association and Westminster City Council have launched London’s first Sustainable City Charter (“The Charter”), which provides a new framework for decarbonising the built environment, including 11,000 listed buildings, as part of Westminster’s drive to be a zero-carbon city by 2040.
Analysis from Westminster City Council shows that the built environment accounts for approximately 70% of Westminster’s greenhouse gas emissions. The Charter applies to buildings in Westminster with non-domestic uses, including offices, shops, hotels, restaurants, museums and theatres and provides a clear and robust framework for reducing operational carbon.
It is endorsed and supported by leading business groups including New West End Company and London Heritage Quarter. The Charter calls on businesses of all sizes to reduce emissions through measures around energy, waste, transport, procurement and sustainable fit-out and refurbishment, and promotes knowledge-sharing and transparency.
The Charter is focused on operational rather than embodied carbon and is not intended to inform planning policy in the City of Westminster.
You can find out more and sign up to the Charter here: Sustainable City Charter | Westminster City Council
Paul Williams, Chair of Westminster Property Association (and Chief Executive of Derwent London) said:
“As a business community, and as citizens, we have a collective responsibility to reduce our carbon footprint and decarbonise our buildings and the ways in which we use them. Many of the companies and organisations working in Westminster today are making excellent progress, investing and innovating in order to decarbonise their assets and operations but we recognise that we need to move faster, and be bolder to ensure Westminster becomes a net zero city by 2040. The Sustainable City Charter will play a pivotal role in helping us to achieve this goal.”
Cllr Matt Noble, Cabinet Member for Climate Action, Regeneration and Renters at Westminster City Council said:
“The Sustainable City Charter is an exciting partnership between the council and businesses committed to leading on this agenda. It aims to provide a framework for climate and sustainability action to support all businesses across the city to act on climate change and sustainability. By signing up, businesses will be supported by the Charter Partnership and a toolkit of advice and guidance, to make progress towards reducing their contribution to climate change to create a greener, cleaner and fairer city for everyone.”
For further information:
FTI Consulting
Andrew Scorgie: andrew.scorgie@fticonsulting.com; 07738 198943
Neel Bose: neel.bose@fticonsulting.com; 07594 889303
Westminster Sustainable City Charter – Key recommendations include:
- Undertake energy use assessments of their buildings in collaboration with other relevant stakeholders. Audits should be undertaken within 2 years of signing up to the Charter, and at 3-year intervals after that.
- Deliver energy efficiency improvements through installation of renewables, switching to electric heating and cooking or buying green electricity.
- Demonstrate a clear plan for sustainable procurement, including higher priority for local suppliers to reduce transport emissions.
- Enable and incentivise modes of active travel, including provision of shower facilities and Cycle to Work schemes, and commit to replace all diesel/petrol/hybrid vehicles with zero emission vehicles by 2040.
- Consolidate waste collection in collaboration with other local stakeholders and commit to a clear waste reduction plan.
- Adopt green leases at renewal or change of occupancy which formalise measures undertaken to reduce energy consumption and waste.
About Westminster Property Association
The WPA (Westminster Property Association) is a not-for-profit membership body, bringing together property owners, developers, occupiers and professional advisers to inform policymakers and drive the economic prosperity of Westminster.
Its 240 corporate members include long-term investors such as Grosvenor, The Portman Estate, Howard de Walden and The Crown Estate, the major Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) such as Landsec, British Land, Derwent London, Shaftesbury and Great Portland Estates, and a wide variety of property companies and public sector organisations, both large and small.
The full list of WPA members can be viewed here: https://www.westminsterpropertyassociation.com/list-of-members/
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