L&G poaches sustainability heavyweight

Legal & General Capital has appointed the UK Green Building Council’s director of policy and places, John Alker, as its head of sustainability.

With more than 15 years of experience in the sector, Alker joined UKGBC in 2007 and has led its policy and advocacy at both national and local level on issues ranging from net-zero carbon, social value, health and wellbeing, regeneration and placemaking.

Alker has also served as board director for the World Green Building Council and previously worked on sustainable homes and carbon trading for environmental charity WWF-UK.

A board member of the Quality of Life Foundation, Alker has worked as a researcher for the House of Commons and in commercial public affairs.

At LGC, he will act as the strategic sustainability lead to set and deliver the business’s sustainability commitments, while measuring and articulating the social impact of its broader strategy.

One of his key challenges will be to help L&G meet its pledge to make its new housing stock – both investments and developments – operationally net-zero enabled by 2030.

LGC’s sustainability commitments range from creating energy efficient homes, regenerating communities, and supporting health and scientific advancements, to investing across power, heat and transport in clean energy.

Alker, who will join LGC in August, said: “I feel privileged to have been able to work with hundreds of progressive businesses from across the real estate and construction sector over many years at UKGBC. One that has always stood out as particularly influential, innovative and purpose-driven is Legal & General. I am delighted to be joining the great team at LGC, to support the sustainability ambitions of the business in this critical decade of action.

“We face a series of related challenges from global to local, both environmental and societal. The places where we live and work and the communities we create are at the heart of this challenge. That is why the scale and scope of LGC’s diverse interests in our built environment provide such an exciting opportunity – to deliver positive impact and create value in the round.”

Kerrigan Procter, CEO of Legal & General Capital, added: “John’s expertise makes him well placed to maximise the advantages within our housing and urban regeneration businesses in order to deliver on our ambitions for improved social and environmental outcomes.

“John will play a crucial role in ensuring that our sustainability commitments are delivered, as well as looking at further ways that our platform can help to transform climate change. We have a real opportunity to use LGC’s diverse sources of capital to build back better and seek out new transformative sustainable investments.”

The appointment comes two months after L&G started work on the UK’s first net-zero carbon retirement village, a £120m development in Caddington, Bedfordshire.