British Property Federation calls for data-sharing and regulatory certainty

The BPF and JLL have released a report that identifies the main challenges the property sector faces as it decarbonises and provides a series of policy recommendations.

Access to data is a major challenge the research identifies, with property owners and occupiers referencing it as one of the top three challenges to decarbonising. A lack of quality data makes it difficult to calculate accurate operational carbon and set realistic carbon reduction targets.

Policy and regulatory uncertainty and a lack of financial incentives to support the retrofitting of buildings are hindering progress. Transitioning to net zero comes at considerable cost, and without robust evidence of a return on investment, many property owners lack the confidence to invest in major energy efficiency upgrades.

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The report reveals that 9 in 10 senior leaders surveyed by the BPF and JLL do not believe current Government policy will deliver a net zero property sector by 2050.

To ensure the property sector can meet net zero targets the BPF has set out several essential policies. These include:

Mandate the sharing of energy consumption data between property owners and occupiers of large commercial buildings, and set up a Task Force to explore the particular data challenges faced by owners of residential buildings

Confirm urgently the detail of the planned changes to the MEES regulations for both the domestic and non-domestic private rented sectors, and the details of the proposed new performance-based energy rating system

Zero rate VAT on residential repairs and maintenance and reform capital allowances to incentivise investment to decarbonise

Move towards the mandatory installation of PV and/or green roofs on large residential, commercial and public buildings

Strengthen the criteria for a green tariff label

Allow Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) to invest in off-site renewables

Align, and resource, the planning system to enable the net zero transition

Mandate the use and disclosure of Life Cycle Assessments, and set embodied carbon reduction targets

Melanie Leech, chief executive, British Property Federation, commented: “The property sector is fully committed to decarbonisation but there are huge barriers and costs to overcome. We need clear long-term policies, regulation and incentives to support the industry’s efforts.  We urge the Government to adopt the policy recommendations in this report and to work with us to make sure we can deliver a net zero built environment by 2050.”

This research was supported by Derwent London, Dorrington, Greengage Environmental, JLL, Maples Teesdale and TFT.