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Parliament

Build Back Better – Open Letter to the Prime Minister

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Hillbreak joins more than 200 leading businesses to urge UK Government to deliver clean, inclusive and resilient recovery plan 

More than 200 leading UK businesses, investors and business networks, including Lloyds Banking Group, BMO Global Asset Management, British Property Federation, JLL, UK Green Building Council, Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM) and Federated Hermes, have called on the Government to deliver a Covid-19 recovery plan that builds back a more inclusive, stronger and more resilient UK economy.

In an open letter, CEOs from across the economy have offered support to the Government in tackling the present health crisis, and urged Prime Minister Boris Johnson to provide clear vision for recovery efforts that align with the UK’s wider social, environmental and climate goals.  

The letter, signed by 206 businesses, investors and business networks, received widespread coverage in the UK and beyond, a selection of which can be found below:

It states: ‘With the UK facing major economic and social concerns including the risk of high unemployment and rising regional inequality, we believe that an ambitious low carbon growth and environmental improvement agenda can do a lot to address these concerns, as well as make the UK economy better prepared to deal with future shocks such as those related to climate change. 

‘[…] The current crisis, in moving us all away from business-as-usual, has already created shifts in how we operate, and we believe we must use the recovery to accelerate the transition to net zero. Efforts to rescue and repair the economy in response to the current crisis can and should be aligned with the UK’s legislated target of net zero emissions by 2050 at the latest.’ 

The signatories come from both multi-national and national businesses, across industry sectors, including energy, finance, consumer goods, retail, construction, water and communication. 

The business and investment networks supporting this initiative include The Prince of Wales’s Corporate Leaders Group (CLG), the Aldersgate Group, the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC), Business in the Community (BITC), the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC) and the Climate Group. 

Together they have called on the UK to deliver a clean, just recovery, that creates quality employment and builds a more sustainable, inclusive and resilient UK economy for the future with a plan that can: 

  • Drive investment in low carbon innovation, infrastructure and industries, as well as improved resilience to future environmental risks; 
  • Focus support on sectors and activities that can best support sustainable growth, increased job creation and accelerate both the recovery and the decarbonisation of the economy; 
  • Include within financial support packages measures to ensure receiving businesses are well managed and their strategies are science based and aligned with national climate goals. 

The signatories, listed below, acknowledge the climate leadership of the UK and call for continued ambition to drive action towards next year’s COP26 summit and the G7, which will both be hosted in the UK. 

Signatories List 

1. Ron Cowley, CEO, Active Building Centre 

2. Amanda Stevenson, Director, Adapt Sustainability Consulting Ltd 

3. Alan Lusty, CEO, adi Group 

4. David Barwell, Chief Executive, UK & Ireland, AECOM 

5. Oliver Mendelsohn, CEO, Akustak® (Cusp London Ltd) 

6. Alistair McAuley, Managing Director UK & Ireland, AkzoNobel 

7. Nick Molho, Executive Director, Aldersgate Group 

8. Martin Clark, CEO, Allia Impact 

9. Naomi Pendleton, Groups Sustainability Director, AM FRESH Group 

10. Peter Simpson, Chief Executive, Anglian Water Group and Co-Chair, The Prince of Wales’s Corporate Leaders Group 

11. Stuart McLachlan, CEO, Anthesis Group 

12. Jack Harvie-Clark, Director, Apex Acoustics Ltd 

13. David Partridge, Senior Partner, Argent LLP and Chair of the Board of Trustees, UKGBC 

14. Dominic Kirby, Managing Director, ArgoGlobal 

15. Nigel Tonks, Director, Arup 

16. Roger Burnley, President and CEO, ASDA 

17. Jason Sibthorpe, President (UK), Avison Young 

18. Colm Holmes, Global CEO, General Insurance, Aviva 

19. Steve Waygood, Chief Responsible Investment Officer, Aviva Investors 

20. James Wimpenny, Chief Executive, BAM Construct UK Ltd. 

21. Adrian Savory, CEO, BAM Nuttall 

22. Jon Eaglesham, Managing Director, Barr Gazetas 

23. David Thomas, CEO, Barratt Developments PLC 

24. Jack Bowles, Chief Executive, BAT 

25. Peter Fisher, Director, Bennetts Associates 

26. Steve Burr, Director, Black Architecture 

27. Tim Robinson, Managing Director, Blue Tile Property Consultants Ltd 

28. Kristi Mitchem, CEO, BMO Global Asset Management 

29. Anne Marie Verstraeten, UK Country Head, BNP Paribas 

30. Rob Bradley, CEO, Bouygues UK 

31. Peter Mather, Group Regional President, Europe, and Head of Country, UK, BP plc 

32. Philip Law, Director General, British Plastics Federation 

33. Melanie Leech, Chief Executive, British Property Federation 

34. Simon Litherland, CEO, Britvic plc 

35. Chris Oglesby, Chief Executive, Bruntwood 

36. Morten Nilsson, CEO, BT Pension Scheme Management Limited 

37. Andy Wales, Chief Digital Impact and Sustainability Officer, BT plc 

38. TJ Doubleday, CFO, Burger King UK 

39. David Hynam, CEO, Bupa Global & UK 

40. Neil Squibbs, CEO, Buro Happold 

41. Amanda Mackenzie, Chief Executive, Business in the Community 

42. Paul Margetts, Chairman of the Country Board, Capgemini UK plc 

43. Jon Lewis, CEO, Capita plc 

44. Peter Hugh Smith, Chief Executive, CCLA 

45. Paul Simpson, CEO, CDP 

46. Sergio Menendez, President, CEMEX Europe, Middle East, Africa & Asia (EMEAA) 

47. David Palmer, CEO, Central Finance Board of the Methodist Church 

48. Gareth Mostyn, Chief Executive, Church Commissioners for England 

49. John Ball, Chief Executive, Church of England Pensions Board 

50. Leendert Den Hollander, Vice President and General Manager, Great Britain, Coca-Cola European Partners 

51. Tim Attwood, Managing Director, Conisbee 

52. Dougie Sutherland, CEO, Cory Riverside Energy 

53. Alex Vaughan, CEO, Costain Group PLC 

54. Peter Flavel, CEO, Coutts 

55. Steve Foots, Group Chief Executive, Croda International Plc 

56. Phil Oram, Regional Director UK and Ireland, Crown Workspace Ltd 

57. Tomas Neeson, Managing Partner, Cundall 

58. Simon Norie, Managing Director, Custerian 

59. James Pearson, Managing Director, Danone UK & Ireland 

60. David Morley, Founding Partner, David Morley Architects 

61. Liam Cowell, UK Managing Partner, DLA Piper UK 

62. Rachel Hill, CEO, Dragon Capital Markets (Europe) Limited 

63. Michael Lewis, CEO, E.ON UK 

64. Gordon Power, CEO & Chief Investment Officer, Earth Capital Limited 

65. Stuart Lemmon, CEO, EcoAct 

66. Paul Ellis, Chief Executive, Ecology Building Society 

67. Peter Madden, Director, Ecovivid 

68. Sue Round, CEO, EdenTree Investment Management Ltd 

69. Colin Matthews, Non-Executive Chairman, EDF Energy and Co-Chair, The Prince of Wales’s Corporate Leaders Group 

70. Peter Emery, CEO, Electricity North West 

71. Adrian Curry, Managing Director, Encirc Ltd 

72. Nicola Lovett, CEO, ENGIE 

73. Aidan Bell, MD, EnviroBuild 

74. Emma Howard Boyd, Chair, Environment Agency 

75. Robert Gould, Chair, Environment Agency Pensions Committee, Environment Agency Pension Fund 

76. Richard Speak, Co-Founder, Environmental Finance 

77. Bill Clark, Owner and Director, EnviroSteel Limited 

78. David Palmer, CEO, Epworth Investment Management Ltd 

79. Chris Bennett, Managing Director, EVORA Global 

80. Chris Taylor, CEO Hermes Real Estate & Head of Private Markets, Federated Hermes 

81. Elliot Lipton, Managing Director, First Base 

82. Chris Turpin, MD EMEA, First State Investments 

83. Ian Wright CBE, Chief Executive, Food and Drink Federation 

84. Basil Demeroutis, Managing Partner, FORE Partnership 

85. Nick James, Founder, Futureground 

86. Joost Bergsma, CEO, Glennmont Partners 

87. Helen Gordon, Chief Executive, Grainger plc 

88. Councillor Brenda Warrington, Chair, Greater Manchester Pension Fund Management 

89. Roger Whiteside, CEO, Greggs plc 

90. Kirsten Lees, Managing Partner, Grimshaw 

91. James Raynor, Chief Executive, Grosvenor Britain & Ireland 

92. Ben Spencer, Managing Director, GS8 

93. Robert Spittle, Director, Guest Motors Limited 

94. Katherine Garrett-Cox, CEO, Gulf International Bank (UK) Limited 

95. Luke Bullen, CEO, UK & Ireland, Gympass 

96. John Holland-Kaye, CEO, Heathrow Airport 

97. Les Montgomery, Chief Executive, Highland Spring Group 

98. Jon Lovell, Co-Founder, Hillbreak 

99. Lisa Young-Harry, CEO, HSBC Bank Pension Trust (UK) Ltd 

100. Nicolas Moreau, CEO, HSBC Global Asset Management 

101. Ian Stuart, CEO, HSBC UK 

102. Steve Sharratt, Group CEO, IBMS Group Limited 

103. Peter Jelkeby, Country Retail Manager and Chief Sustainability Officer, IKEA UK and Ireland 

104. Paul Vanston, CEO, Industry Council for Packaging and the Environment – INCPEN 

105. Martin Baxter, Chief Policy Advisor, Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) 

106. Stephanie Pfeifer, CEO, Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change 

107. Nigel Stansfield, President EAAA, Interface 

108. Andrew Tucker, CEO, Irwin Mitchell 

109. Chris Ireland, UK CEO, JLL UK 

110. Robert MacLeod, CEO, Johnson Matthey 

111. Paul Dipino, Chief Operating Officer, Joseph Homes 

112. Dean Gilfillan, General Manager, JTI UK 

113. Thierry Garnier, CEO, Kingfisher plc 

114. Ralph Mannion, Managing Director – Great Britain & Ireland, Kingspan Insulation Ltd GB & I 

115. Mark Neill, Managing Director, Landmarc Support Services Ltd 

116. Meryam Omi, Head of Sustainable and Responsible Investing, Legal & General Investment Management 

117. Neil Martin, CEO, Lendlease Europe 

118. Mike Watson, CEO, LGPS Central Limited 

119. António Horta-Osório, Group Chief Executive, Lloyds Banking Group 

120. Chris Rule, CEO, Local Pensions Partnership Investments Limited 

121. Robert Branagh, CEO, London Pensions Fund Authority 

122. Roy Bedlow, Chief Executive, Low Carbon 

123. Simon Crowe, Managing Director, Low Carbon Alliance 

124. Ken Shuttleworth, CEO & Founder, Make Architects 

125. Phil Armitage, Director, Max Fordham LLP 

126. Robert Lambe, Managing Director, Melius Homes Limited 

127. Chris Smith, Managing Director, Michelin Tyre PLC 

128. Deane Flint, Branch President, MEU-UK & IRE, Mitsubishi Electric 

129. Chris Dijk, CEO, Modomo Ltd 

130. Robert Little, Partner, MSS Group 

131. Callum Tuckett, COO, Multiplex Europe 

132. Paul Bresnan, Managing Director, MWH Treatment Ltd 

133. John Pettigrew, CEO, National Grid 

134. Tony Juniper, Chair, Natural England 

135. Kinvara Carey, General Manager, Natural Source Waters Association 

136. Sam Laidlaw, Executive Chairman, Neptune Energy 

137. Julia Szajdzicka, Managing Director, Northern Design Electronics T/A ND Metering Solutions 

138. Heidi Mottram CBE, Chief Executive, Northumbrian Water Group 

139. David Fairbrother, Managing Director, NSR Management Ltd 

140. Gary Tipper, Managing Partner, Palatine Private Equity 

141. James Perry, Executive Director, Panahpur 

142. Neil Lees, Managing Director, Peel L&P 

143. Sunand Prasad, Principal, Penoyre & Prasad 

144. Jack Broadley, Founder and Owner, Pelorus Consulting 

145. Andy Briggs, CEO, Phoenix Group Holdings Plc 

146. Richard Foley, Senior Partner, Pinsent Masons 

147. Kevin Ellis, Chairman and Senior Partner, PwC UK 

148. Mathew Riley, Managing Director, Ramboll UK Limited 

149. Paul Stockton, CEO, Rathbone Brothers Plc 

150. Alison Rose, CEO, RBS Group 

151. Andrew Foulds, Managing Director, Redevco UK Limited 

152. Darryl Matthews, Managing Director, ROCKWOOL Ltd 

153. Barry O’Dwyer, Group CEO, Royal London Group 

154. Paul Smith, Executive Vice President & General Manager, UK&I, Salesforce 

155. Nathan Bostock, CEO, Santander UK plc 

156. Mike Hughes, President, UK and Ireland, Schneider Electric 

157. Antonio Lorenzo, CEO, Scottish Widows Group Limited 

158. Keith Anderson, Chief Executive, ScottishPower 

159. Liv Garfield, Chief Executive, Severn Trent Plc 

160. Brian Bickell, CEO, Shaftesbury plc 

161. Sinead Lynch, Chair, Shell UK Limited 

162. Alan Shingler, Partner & Chairman, Sheppard Robson LLP 

163. Carl Ennis, CEO, Siemens GB&I 

164. Joao Pola, CEO, Signify UKI 

165. Nicola Stopps, CEO, Simply Sustainable Ltd 

166. Kent Jackson, Partner, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (Europe) LLP 

167. Jeremy Darroch, Group CEO, Sky Group 

168. Mark Smith, Chief Executive, Southern Co-op 

169. Claire Fenwick, Managing Director, Spatial Dimensions 

170. Alistair Phillips-Davies, Chief Executive, SSE 

171. Keith Skeoch, Chief Executive, Standard Life Aberdeen plc 

172. Diba Salam, Principal & Founder, StudioDS 

173. John Scanlon, CEO, SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK Ltd 

174. Rosie Sweetman, Director, Sweetmans and Partners 

175. Tavaziva Madzinga, CEO UK&I, Swiss Re 

176. Jon Di-Stefano, CEO, Telford Homes 

177. Rebecca Pearce, Director, Territorio Ltd 

178. Dave Lewis, CEO, Tesco 

179. Alistair Allison, Managing Partner, TFT 

180. Ian Marchant, Interim Executive Chairman, Thames Water 

181. Helen Clarkson, CEO, The Climate Group 

182. Saker Nusseibeh, CEO, The International Business of Federated Hermes 

183. Eliot Whittington, Director, The Prince of Wales’s Corporate Leaders Group 

184. Andrew Brown, Chair, The William Leech Foundation Limited 

185. Andy Mitchell, CEO, Tideway 

186. Bevis Watts, CEO, Triodos Bank UK 

187. Chris Twinn, Principal, Twinn Sustainability Innovation 

188. Julie Hirigoyen, CEO, UK Green Building Council 

189. Sebastian Munden, Executive Vice President & General Manager, Unilever UK & Ireland 

190. Brett Lankester, UK CEO, Union Bancaire Privée, UBP SA 

191. Simon Pilcher, CEO, USS Investment Management 

192. Gavin Graveson, Executive Vice-President, Veolia UK and Ireland 

193. Dave Worthington, Managing Director, Verco 

194. Jakob Sigurdsson, CEO, Victrex plc 

195. Louise Kjellerup Roper, CEO, Volans 

196. Graham Edwards, CEO, Wales & West Utilities Limited 

197. Nick Taylor, Chief Executive, Waterman Group 

198. Simon Griffin, Dealer Principal, Watts Truck & Van Limited 

199. María Mendiluce, CEO, We Mean Business 

200. Mario Mazzocchi, Group CEO, Wesleyan 

201. Councillor Andrew Thornton, Chair, Investment Advisory Panel and Joint Advisory Group, West Yorkshire Pension Fund 

202. George Latham, Managing Partner, WHEB Asset Management 

203. Rick Willmott, Group Chief Executive, Willmott Dixon 

204. Andrew Bell, Chief Executive, Witan Investment Trust 

205. Paul Tremble, Chief Strategy Officer, WSP 

206. Liz Barber, CEO, Yorkshire Water 

Aberdeen Climate Positive

Aberdeen: Vision for a climate-positive city at the heart of the global energy transition

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Aberdeen is widely regarded as the energy capital of Europe. It boasts the highest concentration of energy supply chain companies in the world, including around 75% of the global sub-sea engineering capability, and is home to half of Scotland’s energy sector jobs.

Aberdeen City Council has today approved a bold vision and strategic plan for the city to leverage that expertise, as well as its unique geographical, institutional and technology strengths, to become an exemplar in tackling the climate crisis.

The vision is for Aberdeen to become a climate positive city, at the same time helping to lead the world in the urgent shift to a net zero future by leveraging its unique assets and capabilities to support the global energy transition.

Prepared with the support of Hillbreak and Creative Concern, the prospectus is an ambitious and compelling response to the climate and energy transition imperatives. It positions Aberdeen as the primary destination for focused UK and international investment in alternative energy solutions and markets, particularly hydrogen, offshore wind and carbon capture and storage.

The prospectus calls for the city’s climate positive ambitions to be recognised, promoted and invested in as a national infrastructure and inclusive economic development priority. It advocates a decisive local partnership approach, underpinned by commitment from the UK and Scottish Governments, to unlock the unique potential of Aberdeen in contributing towards national net zero carbon and just transition goals, whilst also sharing its unrivalled depth of expertise with international partners to drive the global energy transition.

As well as spearheading the transition of global the energy sector, the prospectus also confirms Aberdeen’s aim to be a climate positive city as soon as possible. This means that greenhouse gas emissions related to the operation and continued development of the city – across all sectors – are verified as reaching beyond net zero, taking account of the emissions saved beyond the boundaries of the city through the export of zero carbon energy supplies, such as green hydrogen. Calculating a robust pathway to below zero emissions, aligned with an appropriate science-based methodology, is highlighted as an immediate priority.

The vision ­– and the framework of leadership and governance actions which underpin it ­– is as timely as it is ambitious. The coronavirus crisis has had a huge impact on people’s lives and on the economy. For Aberdeen and wider city region, it has had a particularly dramatic effect. The recent and profound fall in oil prices underlines the importance of showcasing the strengths of the whole city region economy, and in particular Aberdeen’s place in the vanguard of a future renewables revolution. Meanwhile, the concentration of climate-altering greenhouse gases in our atmosphere continues to break records. Ushering in a just energy transition is more critical now than it was even just a few months ago.

Aberdeen’s vision to become a climate positive city at the heart of the global energy transition is therefore pivotal to its prospects for realising a resilient recovery following the pandemic, as well as those of Scotland and the wider UK.

Jon Lovell, co-founder of Hillbreak and lead author of the prospectus, said: “the idea that we have a collective future in which we all have a stake and a part to play is uniquely resonant at this moment in time. Just as profound action on climate change requires political leadership, economic resolve, and individual action and agency, the notion that we are all in this together has added poignancy as we also respond to the enormous threats of the coronavirus crisis.

“There’s no question that the success of national efforts to transform to a net zero carbon economy, as part of a resilient recovery from the impacts of COVID-19, will be contingent on what happens in Aberdeen. Whilst working with the City Council and its partners in the public, private and academic sectors, I was struck by the strength and unity of opinion, not only about Aberdeen’s potential role in a national and international context, but of the vital importance of everyone working together towards a common vision and goal.”

That sentiment was echoed by Aberdeen City Council Co-Leader Jenny Laing. Commenting on the launch of the plan, she said: “Green recovery will be a big part of how the Aberdeen economy responds to Covid-19 and the Net Zero Vision already builds on the plans we have in the Local Outcome Improvement Plan.

“Aberdeen is a world-leader in energy technologies providing a major economic stream locally and nationally while already embracing the global energy transition. We have an enviable track record of leading on deploying climate friendly actions including the EOWDC and H2 Aberdeen, and now in working collectively on leading the transition to net zero activities.

“This provides an opportunity for the city to become an exemplar in the energy transition towards net zero and lead the way in how to change in a dynamic and thoughtful way. It also aligns to the work of World Energy Cities Partnership and its work around climate change.

“We look forward to the future and working with public and private sector partner organisations and companies to achieve net zero together.”

You can read Aberdeen’s vision to be a climate-positive city at the heart of the global energy transition by clicking on the image below.

Aberdeen Energy Transition Vision

London Strategic Land

London Strategic Land appoints Lovell to Advisory Board

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London Strategic Land, the investment company working to bring more and better housing to London, has appointed Hillbreak co-founder, Jon Lovell, to its Advisory Board. He will bring an independent perspective on ESG trends and priorities, advising on the integration of pertinent factors into fund strategy and the investment process.

Commenting on the appointment, Jon said: “Addressing the acute housing crisis in and around London is one of the most pressing and systemic challenges for the city region and the wider UK economy. It is crucial that all new homes built for the Capital are fit for the future, whilst also meeting the needs of today. I’m therefore delighted to be taking on this role with London Strategic Land, a business with great potential to be part of the solution, and I look forward to helping the team to integrate rigorous attention to relevant environmental and social factors into its investment processes.”

He continued, “Increasingly, institutional and private investors are looking for investment solutions that deliver positive environmental and social outcomes alongside a competitive financial return. With quality, sustainability and accessibility as central guiding principles to the planning, design and delivery of new homes, there’s a significant opportunity for investors to realise these combined objectives.”

Mark Tagliaferri, Chairman of London Strategic Land, said: “We are delighted that Jon has agreed to join our advisory board.  We believe Jon and the team at Hillbreak can assist us in our objective of achieving high social impact on our sites.  The team at LSL strive to create places which are sustainable environmentally and socially.  Jon’s experience will be invaluable in helping us demonstrate, validate and measure these important objectives on our sites and as we develop and grow as a business.”

Lovell joins Robin Hoyles, former Group Land and Planning Director at Crest Nicholson plc, Claire Fielding, Partner at Town Legal LLP, Karen Alcock, Managing Director at Kanda Consulting, and Jennifer Ross, Founding Director of Tibbalds Planning & Urban Design, on the Advisory Board.

Lovell brings a wealth of independent advisory experience to the role. He currently sits on the ESG Committees of Round Hill Capital, BMO Real Estate Partners and the Responsible Property Investment Group of Royal London Asset Management, as well as the Advisory Board of the Urban Land Institute in the UK.

COVID-19

CORONAVIRUS STATEMENT (Updated 18 March 2020)

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Originally Posted on 16 March 2020 at 11:30

Last Updated 18 March 2020 at 14:30

Hillbreak and APC Success are committed to safeguarding the health and wellbeing of our respective staff, consultants, clients and training delegates, as well as the wider public, whilst continuing to deliver the high quality advisory and training services that everyone expects of us.

During this time of unprecedented global public health crisis, we are, of course, following government guidelines carefully. We have been taking a cautious and proactive approach in anticipation of further governmental and corporate restrictions, taking account of credible sources of information and advice. We would like to thank our clients for their understanding and cooperation in this regard. As the saying goes, we really are all in this together, and you can count on us to support your business and people in whatever ways we can too.

As the measures recommended and imposed by Government continue to harden, we have updated our approach accordingly.

In particular, we have now completed the full migration of our client training events to an online, live-streamed format, and we have been grateful for the support of a number of our training delegates who have experienced this new mode of delivery on a test-case basis. We really appreciate it. With their positive feedback, we have been able to complete the transition to online training delivery and are ready to move ahead with confidence.

With this process now completed, our working and training delivery practices are operating in the following ways:

  • Keeping you informed: We are continuing to keep our clients and all delegates booked onto our training events informed of our approach and we are doing what we reasonably can to remain flexible to meet their needs, whilst ceasing all face-to-face events for the time being.
  • Training delivery (Corporate Clients & Individual Delegate Groups): Having completed the deployment of digital technologies to enable us to run all of our training sessions in a live-streamed and interactive format, the in-person delivery of training events (for all group sizes) has been suspended until further notice. We are able to accommodate all client participants using this platform, but are also more than happy to make use of clients’ own technical solutions if they would prefer to do that.
  • Meetings: We are no longer travelling to client meetings and are requesting that all meetings be held online until further notice. All internal meetings are being held virtually. As a firm with no fixed premises, it is normal practice for our people to work from home, and our technology is very much tried-and-tested in this regard.
  • Staying healthy: We continue to advocate the need for good standards of personal hygiene amongst our staff and consultants, with reference to World Health Organisation guidance whilst encouraging all of our people to take the sensible steps with which they are personally comfortable to protect themselves and others from the virus. We also think the infographic below, prepared by the healthy work company, is a great model to follow for everyone working at home!

THWC Healthy Working At Home Fin Scaled

We are continuing to keep this position under regular review and will update this post accordingly.

Should any of our clients or delegates have any questions about this statement and its impact upon existing or planned training events, meetings or other engagements, then please do not hesitate to contact us. Even if you just want a chat, give us a call!

PIA ESG Principles

PIA Best Practice ESG Principles

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The Property Industry Alliance (PIA), the collective group of sector bodies representing more than £1.6tn of commercial property, has published a universal set of responsible investment and ownership principles for the industry.

The best-practice framework, which was co-authored by Miles Keeping of Hillbreak and Peter Cosmetatos, CEO of Commercial Real Estate Finance Europe, sets out seven key principles to advance the social, environmental and economic benefits of responsible business practices across the real estate sector. It is the result of more than 18 months of consultation between the PIA members, which includes the Association of Real Estate Funds, British Council of Offices, British Property Federation, Commercial Real Estate Finance Council, Investment Property Forum, Revo, RICS and Urban Land Institute.

Bill Hughes, chair of the Property Industry Alliance and head of real assets at Legal & General Investment Management, said: “Now more than ever, any business that does not recognise the crucial importance of behaving in a socially and environmentally responsible manner will not be sustainable over the long term.

“Those involved with the built environment have a huge collective responsibility and opportunity to drive real change. While many in our sector are making significant strides forward and having a really positive impact with their ESG policies, there remains a lot of debate and a lack of clear direction as to what best practice looks like, particularly for those who are less well resourced, which leads to fragmented efforts.”

He added: “We have a duty to our communities, our people and our shareholders to self-­reflect, to ask ourselves the tough questions and to behave in the right manner in recognition of the fundamental role that we play in society, as well as to ensure our future relevance.”

Miles Keeping, Director, Hillbreak.

Miles Keeping, Director, Hillbreak.

Miles Keeping, who co-authored the Principles and who chairs the Green Property Alliance, commented: “These principles are the result of extensive dialogue and self-reflection amongst the PIA members, and mark an important step forward for the industry. Now, for the first time, organisations representing all principal interests in the commercial property sector have taken a unified and collective stance on the centrality of ESG to its activities, which I hope will serve as a galvanising vision for a better future.

“Whilst environmental, social and corporate governance factors have risen in prominence massively in recent years, we must recognise that our sector remains a long way off where it needs to be in delivering positive outcomes for society, alongside financial returns for investors.”

He added: “Hillbreak is proud to have played a central role in bringing forward these principles, and we look forward to advocating them to our clients and the sector more broadly. We encourage consultants and service providers operating across the whole of the real estate value chain to do the same, and we look forward to supporting the PIA to review the impact of the guidance later this year.”

The PIA best practice ESG principles

PIA ESG Principles

(1) Climate change and the environment

At every phase of a building’s lifecycle, market participants should minimise both the use of natural resources and their impact on the environment.

a. How have you sought to reduce natural resource use through appropriate specification, reuse of previously used resources, and/or reduced wastage of materials?

b. How does the relevant building make a net positive contribution to the local and global environments, particularly the climate, over its life?

c. To what extent have you driven positive environmental action throughout the supply chain at each relevant phase of the life of the relevant building?

(2) Environmental and social impacts

At every phase of a building’s lifecycle, market participants should understand and take account of the environmental, socioeconomic and community impacts – both positive and negative – of their activities and decisions.

a. How have the environmental effects been assessed so that global and local implications are appropriately accounted for?

b. How have the views of the local community and other external stakeholders been sought and taken into consideration?

c. What are the likely negative and positive impacts on:

• the climate and wider environment

• the local community, local amenity and infrastructure

• those working in or otherwise using the relevant building?

d. How are negative impacts proposed to be mitigated so that the net impact is positive?

e. If any affected constituency is still unhappy, what steps have been taken to understand its concerns and either address them or explain why they could not be addressed?

(3) Balancing profit and wider impacts

At every phase of a building’s lifecycle, market participants should strike a fair and reasonable balance between the profits they seek to take out, on the one hand, and the lasting value they leave behind for those working in, using or otherwise affected by the relevant building, on the other.

a. How and to what extent are financial returns reinvested for the benefit of the environment, local community and those working in or using the relevant building in the interests of its longer-term success?

b. How do you encourage your investors, customers and suppliers to operate in a way which attaches value to environmental, socioeconomic and community considerations?

(4) Health and wellbeing

At every phase of a building’s lifecycle, market participants should measure and improve health and wellbeing within their own organisation and for those working in or using relevant buildings.

a. What information and key performance indicators (KPIs) are collected and used to monitor health and wellbeing and assess the effectiveness of improvement measures?

b. How is consideration given to improving the internal environmental qualities of relevant buildings?

c. What further knowledge or actions could lead to health and wellbeing improvements for those working in or using relevant buildings, including those with visible and/or hidden disabilities?

d. What are the principal barriers and interventions to adopting improvements in health and wellbeing and what steps are you taking to tackle them?

(5) Diversity and inclusion

Market participants should encourage diversity and inclusion, using the influence they can exert through their own people and over their investors, customers and suppliers in a way that balances those different, and sometimes competing, interests.

a. How do you ensure that your people suitably reflect the diversity of the communities in which you operate?

b. How do you promote an inclusive culture that allows everyone to feel that their voices are heard and needs recognised?

c. What steps do you take to ensure that relevant buildings are accessible and user-friendly for people with visible and/or hidden disabilities?

d. How do you encourage your whole supply chain to operate in a way which fosters diversity and inclusion?

(6) Accountability and transparency

Market participants should uphold high standards of governance and always seek to be accountable and transparent to the extent compatible with data protection and privacy rules and the reasonable requirements of commercial confidentiality.

a. How does the organisation ensure and demonstrate accountability for its actions?

b. How transparent are the organisation’s activities and how does the business subject itself to external, independent scrutiny?

c. How does the organisation ensure that potential conflicts of interest are avoided or appropriately managed?

(7) Data

Market participants should take responsibility for the data they collect and use, collecting and storing it appropriately and securely.

a. Does each building have a general data policy covering what is collected and why?

b. Is data collection proportionate to the benefit and expectations of the data subjects and associated stakeholders?

c. Are data security provisions built in to all data collection and use activities, such that confidentiality and privacy expectations can be met?

d. How does the organisation protect itself against the threat of cybercrime and ensure the security of stakeholders’ information?

Spring 2020 APC Success Course dates released

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Following the success of our sell-out Autumn 2019 course we are pleased to announce that booking for the Spring 2020 APC Success course is now open.

Our increasingly popular three-day intensive course is suitable for APC candidates working in real estate organisations and surveying firms on the Commercial, Residential, Property Finance & Investment and Planning & Development pathways who are looking to sit their APC in Spring 2020.

At this time, two groups are available to join; they will run on different dates, but will cover the same content over three full days of highly-interactive sessions taking place in Marylebone, London. The syllabus will be delivered in two stages: APC Preparation & Revision Planning in November 2019, followed by two further APC Revision days in February and March 2020.

Each group will consist of up to 15 delegates whom we encourage to work together to benefit from collaborative working and mutual support. Additional, ongoing, out-of-session support will also be provided via private social media groups and email. Places are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Our past courses have sold out, so candidates are urged to register sooner rather than later to avoid disappointment.

Training will be delivered by Miles Keeping MRICS, an APC Assessor as well as an experienced APC trainer, and new addition to the APC Success team Jon Wright MRICS. Jon  joins us with over 25 years’ experience and has been involved with the RICS APC process since 1995. He has delivered APC training since 2007 and regularly fulfils the role of APC Chair, Auditor and Appeal Panel member.

To book your place on this course, please select your preferred group of training dates from the options below; it is important that you stay within the same Group throughout the course in order to benefit from cohort and ongoing social media support.

Group A: 19 November, 10 February, 16 March
Group B: 20 November, 11 February, 17 March

If you would like to register your interest for future courses (Autumn 2020 sittings and onwards), please email Timia@apcsuccess.co.uk including your name, contact details and when you’re hoping to sit your APC.

For more information, download our prospectus by clicking the image below, or email enquiries@apcsuccess.co.uk.

Spring 2020 Cover

Jon Wright joins APC Success

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APC Success is delighted to announce the appointment of Jon Wright MRICS as a Trainer, Coach and Counsellor specialising in RICS APC training, coaching and mentoring candidates and stakeholders.

Jon has been involved with the RICS APC process since 1995 and has delivered APC training since 2007. He is an APC Chair, Auditor and Appeal Panel Member. His property specialisms are commercial/corporate real estate with a particular focus on landlord & tenant, property/strategic management and corporate occupier solutions

Jon is a practising Chartered Surveyor who specialises in advising tenants and occupiers of commercial real estate. Jon has been qualified for over 25 years during which he spent 14 years as a Partner at Strutt and Parker and a number of years as Head of Property at the Royal Mencap Society. Jon is an accredited RICS Mediator.

Jon has been an APC panel member since 1995 and now regularly fulfils the role of Chair, Auditor and Appeal Panel Member. He has actively been involved with training and coaching APC candidates for over ten years. He believes that it is essential that all APC candidates receive the best possible training to help them become Chartered Surveyors.

Commenting on Jon’s appointment, Miles Keeping, Director of APC Success said:

“I’m over the moon that Jon has decided to join APC Success, adding real depth to our team. Jon’s extensive hands-on experience as an APC trainer, combined with the insight he has gained as an APC Assessor and Chair will benefit our candidates hugely. His learner-centric approach chimes perfectly with everything we do at APC Success. He’s also an absolute pleasure to work with!”

Jon Wright said:

“I am delighted to be joining APC Success and having the opportunity to work with Miles. APC Success are highly respected within the property profession as being innovators in the way they deliver the content of their unique APC training courses and materials. I look forward to helping Miles and the team further develop new bespoke training opportunities for their unrivalled list of clients.”

Jon is keen to maintain and improve the quality and diversity of members joining the RICS and has recently embarked on developing an RICS accredited apprenticeship scheme.

Jon has a passion for ensuring that the tenants and occupiers of commercial real estate have the best possible advice available to them and his instructions in the charity and education sectors include the project management of the disposal of three rural further education colleges.

Round Hill Capital

Integrity, Innovation, Impact – a new ESG Strategy for Round Hill Capital

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Integrity, Innovation, Impact – a new ESG Strategy for Round Hill Capital

  • Round Hill Capital launches new ESG Strategy, advised by Hillbreak
  • Underpinned by a refreshed statement of Core Values for the Company
  • Jon Lovell appointed to global ESG Committee to help support continued oversight

Since its foundation in 2002, Round Hill Capital has become a market leader in the real estate accommodation sector – offering a fully integrated investment, development and management approach alongside venture capital for early stage, high growth property technology companies.

Hillbreak was engaged by Round Hill Capital to develop an Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) Strategy to help to underpin its corporate and investment management activities. Working with Round Hill Capital’s Executive Committee and a Company-wide Steering Group, we undertook in depth analysis to identify opportunities for a compelling ESG strategy that aligns with the Company’s pioneering, macro-driven and nimble approach to business.

Extensive internal surveying and dialogue was a key part of our approach, to further engage collaboratively with employees and decision-makers in the process of determining the core areas of focus for the ESG Strategy. We found significant appetite for Round Hill Capital to formalise a comprehensive and proactive approach to responsible property investment that aligns with investor objectives and supports financial returns and which also, notably, embraces key ESG impact themes emerging within the market.

Examination of the Company’s current activity revealed several examples of strong ESG-related business practices, which presented a clear opportunity to build on the existing internal culture to more consistently integrate ESG considerations into the investment process and development and asset management practices.

The resulting ESG Strategy sets out clear ambitions targeting performance and positive change, supported by a refreshed statement of the Company’s Core Values, which clarify Round Hill Capital’s commitments as a Group and its expectations of the conduct of its employees and wider stakeholders. Features of note include:

  • A focus on Round Hill’s core strengths of innovation, flexibility and proactivity – the Strategy highlights positive ESG impact, first mover advantage and stakeholder engagement as key features within its overarching business objectives.
  • Highlighting integrity alongside innovation, ensuring an underpinning of consistent standards and a continual drive to take account of ESG impacts, risks and opportunities in all business activities.
  • A structure for embedding ESG more formally into the real estate investment process. A suite of decision-making tools and best practice resources are currently being developed.
  • Prioritisation of internal capacity building and reporting capability, including systematic internal training, the development of ESG requirements for operating partners, and extension of investor and external reporting to include ESG performance.

The ESG Strategy combines strong foundations with the flexibility for Round Hill to capitalise on its strengths and take a positive, opportunistic and responsible approach to ESG.

Implementation will be led by a newly established ESG Committee, to which Jon Lovell, co-founder of Hillbreak, has been appointed as an independent member.

Commenting on the new ESG Strategy, Lovell said, “Working with Round Hill Capital has been a unique and insightful experience for Hillbreak. The Company’s blend of fast-paced successful growth and investment agility in alternative sectors, together with its core values, has created a really interesting opportunity to present a distinctive approach centred on integrity, innovation and impact. We’re so pleased to have been retained to help support Round Hill Capital with the realisation of its ESG goals.”

Paul Bashir, President and COO, commented, “Our new ESG Strategy is the formal expression of our innovative approach to community, wellbeing, environment and risk.  Round Hill Capital is really enthused by the prospect of working with our investors and other stakeholders to drive positive social and environmental outcomes and change alongside the delivery of investment performance.”

He continued, “Hillbreak has been an excellent partner for us to work with in helping to bring forward our new ESG Strategy. They have been challenging, bold and ambitious, which sits perfectly with how we do things at Round Hill Capital. I’m delighted that Jon will continue to bring insight, ideas and objectivity by serving on our new ESG Committee.”

 

About Hillbreak

Hillbreak provides training and strategic advisory services for organisations seeking purpose and competitive advantage in a changing urban world. Its mission is to expedite the transition to a sustainable policy, business and investment environment by bringing intelligence, challenge and inspiration to its clients and stakeholders.

About Round Hill Capital

Round Hill Capital is a leading global real estate investment, development and asset management firm.  Since inception in 2002, Round Hill Capital has acquired and repositioned for long-term institutional ownership over 110,000 residential units and student housing beds. Round Hill is a responsible landlord of assets offering housing to a range of occupants, from students through to senior citizens.

Round Hill Capital has an established track record of generating high risk-adjusted returns and invests in and asset manages real estate on behalf of some of the world’s leading institutions and private investors.

Further information on Round Hill Capital is available at: www.roundhillcapital.com.

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Urban Innovation Study Tours

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Hillbreak is pleased to announce a new global service offering for clients wishing to experience, learn from and be inspired by international examples of innovation in the built environment.

Our immersive Urban Innovation Study Tours are individually curated to create a rich learning experience for leadership teams and decision-makers. They provide access to international exemplar projects, thought-leaders and organisations, in order to provide client organisations with the insight, inspiration and knowledge needed to drive innovation into their strategies and project delivery.

In order to remain competitive within the field of real estate, real-world knowledge and insight into the risks and opportunities associated with creative responses to global challenges becomes imperative. Through thoughtful planning and energetic execution, Hillbreak provides leadership teams with the opportunity to experience and learn from fascinating international case studies, including by hearing from those who have been instrumental in their realisation and continued success. Through these Urban Innovation Study Tours, the learning and experiential objectives are tailored specifically to the needs of individual client organisations. However, clients can expect to benefit from the following outcomes and benefits:

  • Deep insights gained for senior leadership teams by visiting international examples of best practice and innovation.
  • New inspiration found to help advance the strategic and operational approaches of the organisation.
  • Exclusive opportunities to hear and learn from those involved in the conception, development, financing, and management of exemplar projects and initiatives and with whom the transferability of lessons learnt can be explored.
  • New connections made with best-in-class organisations and individuals.
  • Greater productivity and impact gained from immersive and inspirational settings for reflection, debate, idea generation and foresight exercises.
  • Opportunities to spend quality time with colleagues away from the day-to- day distractions of the normal place of work.

Thoughtful and meticulous planning is required to ensure that each Urban Innovation Study Tour addresses the specific ambitions and challenges of the organisation and its portfolios, as well as the strategic issues of the time. Clients can therefore expect to be engaged fully from start-to-finish during the process of selecting and programming their bespoke Urban Innovation Study Tour. Whilst Hillbreak will develop ideas and do the heavy lifting to make them happen, we put the ownership of the programme in the hands of the client to ensure maximum buy-in internally. For more information, download our prospectus by clicking the image below, or email Lucy Matchett.  

Lucy has extensive experience of curating and facilitating international study tours, having taken groups of real estate leaders to global destinations ranging from Seattle to Tokyo to Copenhagen. She comes highly recommended!

COVER Urban Innovation Study Tour Hillbreak Prospectus
Download the Prospectus

 

Waterside Icon

The Waterside Economic Prospectus

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A vision for a world-class maritime economy in a world-class natural environment

Produced by Deloitte and Hillbreak, supported by David Lock Associates, on behalf of a consortium of major landowners, this radical Prospectus conveys the national imperative and compelling local benefits of harnessing the full potential for maritime and port development, community renewal and environmental enhancement on the Western shores of Southampton Water.

The Waterside
The Port of Southampton and Eling Wharf, at the northern end of Southampton Water

The Waterside – an area along the west coast of Southampton Water, from Totton to Calshot – has the unique potential in the UK to play host to and drive the growth of a world-class marine and maritime economy at the heart of a world-class environment, framed by the iconic landscape of the New Forest and the dynamic coastline of the Solent.

The Waterside is home to an extraordinary portfolio of internationally significant assets and infrastructure  critical to the competitiveness of the UK, but its full potential to underpin the wider sub-regional and national economy is not being realised. In fact, in employment, resident population, school enrolment, mobility and housing terms, the Waterside is in decline. There are also significant pressures affecting the natural environment.

Paradoxically, the Waterside’s rich vein of natural and commercial assets are internationally recognised and important. These include, crucially, the Port of Southampton and the New Forest National Park. Together, these assets underpin a unique opportunity to deliver an innovative and transformative investment programme, funded by the public and private sectors, to create thousands of jobs and reverse the fortunes of declining communities.

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A portfolio of unique opportunities of national and international significance

There is a unique opportunity here; an opportunity which, if grasped by central Government and local partners working together, could have a profound effect on the UK’s international trading and industrial prospects as it prepares to leave the European Union. The effective and timely delivery of this here-and-now opportunity should, therefore, be a national priority and firmly embedded in the Government’s Industrial Strategy and 25 Year Environment Plan. This potential will only be realised if partners work together to drive identified priorities to ensure the effective delivery of the vision.

A shared vision for a unique place

The scale, importance and urgency of the Waterside opportunity has inspired Associated British Ports, Barker-Mills Estates, Fawley Waterside Limited and Solent Gateway Limited, owners of crucial assets within the Waterfront, to come together with ExxonMobil, New Forest District Council, the New Forest National Park Authority and Hampshire County Council to develop a shared vision for the Waterside.

With effective partnerships and strong leadership to prioritise action, attract investment, and orchestrate stewardship, the responsible economic growth of the Waterside would be of significant benefit to the nation and residents living locally. It would make a major contribution to the Government’s long-term Maritime 2050 ambition by helping to make the UK the best place in the world to conduct maritime business.

For this to happen, central Government needs to play a full and collaborative role and is urged to do so. 

Planning for responsible growth

Planning For Responsible Growth
Planning for Responsible Growth

Central to the Prospectus is a bespoke Framework for Responsible Growth, at the heart of which sit a range of guiding principles:

  • net environmental gain which recognises the role of development in securing a positive environmental future in line with the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan and which embeds this philosophy in all the emerging development and spatial policies in the Waterside; 
  • investing in natural capital which actively promotes the opportunity for investment in the natural assets in the area to support public health and well-being, workforce productivity, strengthened amenities and greater environmental resilience; 
  • the importance of place and good design as a crucial contribution to local identity and community pride and to support the development of a world-class marine and maritime economy; 
  • engaging, connecting and inspiring communities which reflects the fundamental requirement to ensure all residents can play a full and active part, not only in shaping the area, but in accessing all the benefits a successful economy generates; 
  • building resilience and adaptive capacity which becomes embedded in policies and proposals to adapt to the growing impacts of climate change; 
  • circular economics and radical resource efficiency which promotes a systems-wide approach to waste elimination and productivity; 
  • planning for total mobility alongside greater connectivity; 
  • embracing technology as it affects places, businesses and people; and
  • celebrating hidden heritage and potential jewels as part of a wider enhancement of the ecological and cultural network. 

Download the Prospectus

To understand more about the vast opportunity in the Waterside and how partners are collaborating to take this forward, you can download the Executive Summary of the Prospectus below below.

The Waterside Prospectus EXEC SUMMARY
Waterside Exec Summary FINAL (No Images)

For a copy of the full Prospectus document, or a higher quality version of the Executive Summary with photographic images, please contact us.