Better Buildings Partnership unveils revitalised Green Lease Toolkit to kickstart 2024

To stimulate leadership and support the delivery of better buildings across the commercial real estate sector, the Better Buildings Partnership (BBP) has today launched its revitalized Green Lease Toolkit. 

The comprehensive online Toolkit contains legal clauses in nearly 20 key areas, covering topics such as building management, circular economy, waste and renewable energy. Its dynamic approach offers suggested drafting variations categorized as “light”, “medium” or “dark”, accommodating users at various stages of their green leasing journey. Additionally, the Toolkit introduces a new Green Lease Essentials section, outlining a vision for minimum expectations on what green leases should include.   

The Green Lease Toolkit caters to a diverse audience, including property owners, occupiers, letting agents, lawyers, managing agents, investors and analysts. All of these stakeholders can benefit from the toolkit content, with the overall objective being to identify actions of mutual value, fostering greater alignment and co-operation to improve the sustainability of commercial buildings.  

The Toolkit’s development is a testament to the power of collaboration, having been co-created by and for the industry. The development of this new version was an iterative process guided by a steering committee composed of property owners and occupiers from leading companies alongside a dedicated group of legal experts.  

Now available for use on Desktop, the Toolkit is hosted on the BBP website, ensuring it can be easily adapted and evolved to reflect best practice and learnings, including case studies. The BBP invites industry professionals to explore the toolkit, to unlock the sustainability potential of commercial buildings and to share feedback on their experience.  

Sarah Ratcliffe, CEO, Better Buildings Partnership said: “Our Green Lease Toolkit has been one of the BBP’s most widely utilized tools, helping to inform leading thinking on how leases can support owners’ and occupiers’ sustainability ambitions. We hope that this significant review of the toolkit will enable the whole industry to realise the potential for positive and open dialogue, ultimately driving the delivery of better buildings.”  

Kirsty Draper, Head of Sustainability – UK Agency JLL said: “We all know the industry needs radical collaboration to deliver on sustainability.  The toolkit encourages and helps provide a framework for that owner occupier collaboration.  On a personal level, it has been amazing being part of a team which has put that collaboration into practice to help develop and deliver such an exciting key industry tool.” 

Siobhan Cross, Partner, Property Group, Pinsent Masons & Main Editor of Legal Working Group said: “With tenants’ and landlords’ interests increasingly aligned when it comes to reducing carbon emissions and with this decade being critical for significant emissions reductions, this update is timely. It is balanced and will be an important tool as tenants and landlords work together to shift the dial on the environmental performance of leased buildings.” 

Jane Wakiwaka, London & Regional Sustainability Director, The Crown Estate & Chair of the Green Lease Toolkit Steering Committee said: “The launch of the updated BBP Green Lease Toolkit today demonstrates the importance and value of owners and occupiers working together to deliver sustainable outcomes for the real estate sector. This update has been a truly collaborative process, and it has been a real privilege to chair this working group, represented by a diverse group of stakeholders.” 

Ed Green, Sustainability Director, Grosvenor said: “This toolkit is the perfect springboard for property owners and occupiers wanting to take the next step in their sustainability journey. In simple terms it explains how we can work together to transform the built environment, while recognizing that different organisations are in different stages of their journey. With over 260 of our occupiers on a green lease, we know this is a highly effective mechanism to support collaboration and progress.”