Lendlease has released its ‘Roadmap to Absolute Zero Carbon’, which sets out how the business will achieve those targets in Europe.
Lendlease has set itself challenging environmental targets, including a commitment to becoming a 1.5°C aligned company and achieving absolute zero carbon by 2040.
The United Nations has described climate change as the defining crisis of our time and no corner of the globe is immune from its devastating consequences. Rising temperatures lead to environmental degradation, natural disasters, weather extremes, food and water insecurity and economic conflict.
The built environment is responsible for contributing approximately 40% of global carbon emissions and Lendlease has recognised that, in order to minimise the impact of climate change on livelihoods and ecosystems around the world, global temperatures must be prevented from rising above 1.5°C compared to pre-industrial times.
The company has already taken a number of steps to prioritise action to address climate change across its business.
In 2019 Lendlease Europe signed the Better Buildings Partnership’s Climate Change Commitment.
This year Lendlease has already become one of the first companies to join SteelZero, a global initiative aimed at driving market demand for net-zero steel. Lendlease Europe also signed up to the World Green Building Council Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment, challenging businesses to reach net-zero carbon in operation for buildings under their control.
The roadmap includes:
Eliminating the use of diesel on Lendlease construction sites and trialling alternative technologies and fuels.
Ensuring that all the electricity Lendlease procures is REGO-backed (Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin certificates) from clean renewable sources (e.g. solar, tidal, wind, not energy from waste).
Working in partnership with the Lendlease supply chain, from material extraction through to manufacturing and delivery, and delivering a sustainability-focused supply chain conference.
Developing a new generation of ‘green leases’ across the company’s commercial, retail and residential operations.
Lendlease’s chief executive officer in Europe, Neil Martin, said: “Setting targets is important, but it is how we deliver against those targets that really matters.
“In our roadmap to absolute zero, we recognise that this is not going to be an easy task and that we don’t yet have all the answers, but it is vital that we take action and we are committed to doing so.”