Fifty-two years later, it is going strong. Advocate for sustainability, Simon Leadbetter, Global CEO of Fine & Country, says that as sustainability moves to the vanguard for all businesses' future direction, there is so much that we as businesses and our customers can do to protect our shared home, planet earth.
He adds: “The average house move generates less than 0.02 tonnes of CO2 emissions, which is about the same as leaving a single light bulb on for almost eight weeks. The UK's average carbon footprint is about 10 tonnes of CO2 per person per year. This level of emissions is nearly double the world average but has been falling steadily since 1990.
“So, the act of moving to a new house is just 0.2% of your client’s annual emissions. That’s one in 500 tonnes, every 23 years (1 in 11,500 tonnes). Most emissions come from business activity, our supply chain, and your clients’ broader lifestyle.”
Leadbetter says that there are six broad trends affecting the property sector:
There is strong consumer demand. 38% of people try to buy only from socially and environmentally responsible companies – and this is rising rapidly. This rises further to 42% for home movers.
We have seen the rise of consumer vigilantes. A short memo to business: hell now hath no fury as a customer scorned in the world of social media.
There are discussions about a green stamp duty incentive providing a linkage between an energy performance certificate (EPC) and the level of stamp duty.
We have seen the number of providers of green mortgages rising. There are 16 providers of green mortgages now, including mainstream lenders such as Barclays, Nationwide, Natwest, Halifax and Santander.
There is strong evidence of an increased price for AB EPC properties. Rightmove says sellers who have upgraded their energy performance certificate rating to a C - from a D, E or F - get up to 16 per cent more on their sale price. Moneysupermarket found similar (14% premium for AB properties).
We are all experiencing rising energy prices with astronomical domestic energy increases. Meanwhile, the cost of renewables continues to tumble.
And as we get closer to deadlines on emissions targets, there will be increased regulation and reporting for businesses.
Leadbetter comments: “At Fine & Country, we believe that estate agents can be change agents and lead the debate. According to YouGov, 22% of people who work in the property sector are defined as Planet Protectors. These are the people who are engaged environmentalists, happy to pay more for products that are good for the environment, and interested in issues related to sustainability.
“Just 16% are Green Rejectors who have negative views on environmental sustainability, sceptical about climate change, prioritising economic and political issues over the environment.”
According to Leadbetter, businesses can take six simple steps to address climate change.
1) Green your transport
2) Lower your energy costs and use renewable energy
3) Reduce, reuse and recycle ‘waste’
4) Digitise your print collateral / use Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) paper
5) Move your investments (e.g. pensions) to ESG funds
6) Offset your audited footprint
Leadbetter continues: “Estate agents can also help their clients do the same in showing them how to green their homes, providing guidance to homeowners on how to use green transport, renewable/less energy and insulate, less water and waste and sustainable investment."
He concludes: “However, sustainability is simple. We now have so much hard evidence that businesses perform better by doing more good and less harm: balancing the needs of people and the planet and the need for profit. So, on Earth Day 2022, let's remember that as estate agents we are lucky. We deal with some of the finest properties in the world. We should have a responsibility for those who don't have a home. Most importantly, we all share one home, this small, fragile planet floating in space - let's have a care for that as well."
