KLM sustainability: How are we reducing our carbon footprint?

Queen Elizabeth II will attend the United Nations climate change conference in Scotland in November, organizers said on Friday. British official Alok Sharma, president of the COP26 conference, said he is “absolutely delighted” the queen will be at the event, which is due to be held in Glasgow on November 1-12. Details of the monarch’s schedule have not been released. World leaders, climate campaigners and activists from around the world are due to attend the UN conference, which was postponed for a year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

As the host for the COP26 this November, the UK is in the spotlight when it comes to reducing emissions. Plastic production and consumption is an important contributor to climate change, business models that are cutting back on single-use plastic offer important lessons, and inspiration, to drive an agenda that moves towards a circular economy. These are also timely inputs to the discussion on the Environment Bill, which includes several measures to tackle plastic pollution. In this blog Mariel Vilella looks at how businesses reduce their plastic waste and work towards circular economy principles. With increased public awareness about the impacts from plastic pollution, the transition towards a zero waste circular economy, where production and use of single-use disposable products is limited to the bare minimum, is ongoing and growing.

Sustainable buildings have increased the asset values for commercial real estate managers in Europe, according to research from Deepki.  More than half of the commercial real estate managers say property values have increased between 16% and 28% because of a green premium, which is the added value of using more sustainable offerings because tenants are willing to pay more for more efficient buildings. More than a quarter of respondents say their rental yields have increased for green buildings.  The industrial sector is the most likely to use sustainable commercial real estate, according to 64% of the respondents. Healthcare followed, with 48% of respondents saying the sector is most likely to use green buildings, and retail came in at 45% according to the research. The sector having the least impact in terms of sustainable space was lodging and resorts, which came in with 4% of the responses.  A third of the respondents also say vacancies have decreased by as much as 15% for sustainable buildings, with 36% saying their void periods have fallen by up to 25%.  “Commercial real estate managers who are taking steps to understand and enhance their ESG credentials are helping to meet their net zero goals and deliver better performance for investors,” says Deepki CEO Vincent Bryant. “Buildings with better sustainability ratings are more likely to be occupied which increases their overall rental income.”