Employees and wellbeing

Strategic report

Environment and community Sustainability

Action on climate

We have committed to becoming a net zero carbon business by 2040 and are due to publish our pathway towards achieving this shortly. During the year, we obtained the Planet Mark Business Certification, which demonstrates our commitment to continually measuring and reducing our carbon emissions. We have also signed up to the Science-based Climate Targets Initiative, committing us to halve our Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030 (from a 2018 baseline) and to play our part in keeping climate change within 1.5°C. As part of this we are committed to extending the coverage of our Scope 3 data to better understand the carbon impact of tenant energy use within our buildings and embodied carbon on our development projects. Over the last year, we have commissioned embodied carbon assessments for several refurbishment projects. In all cases, the works are relatively low carbon compared to a new build development. Nonetheless, we have been able to identify areas where we may be able to make carbon reductions through selecting alternative materials and servicing strategies.

In November 2021, the COP26 summit in Glasgow brought leaders from around the world together to discuss how to tackle climate change and to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. As a signatory to the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) we, along with almost 100 partner organisations across our sector, sponsored the creation of a Virtual Pavilion, showcasing the best low carbon developments from around the world. We held our own internal climate talk to raise awareness of climate change and to help our employees understand how they can make a difference in their roles. For every attendee we donated £10 to CoolEarth, a charity supporting rainforest communities to halt deforestation and its impact on climate change.

We continue to support Westminster City Council in its decarbonisation efforts, particularly since the built environment accounts for almost 90% of the borough’s emissions. For example, our staff helped shape Westminster’s new Sustainable City Charter, while Andrea Merrington, Director of Planning and Engagement at Howard de Walden, contributed to the Westminster Property Association’s (WPA) latest research paper, Zero Carbon Westminster: A Focus on Retrofit in Historic Buildings.

Biodiversity

Marylebone is a highly urban environment and it is challenging to create new green areas or accessible green roofs on a meaningful scale. However, we are members of Wild West End and are committed to integrating green roofs where feasible. For example, the recently restored office space at 4 Bentinck Street now features two wildflower green roofs and three external terraces. There are now over 20 green roofs across the estate, with planning consent for more in the coming years. This includes 1-7 Harley Street, 27 & 29 Harley Street, and 7 Bentinck Street where the latter incorporates a biodiverse green roof above an innovative ‘blue’ roof system to reduce flooding. We also have numerous planters on Marylebone Lane managed alongside our retailers and on Wigmore Place, our first ‘green mews.’ We also support and donate to green initiatives in the wider community. This includes a new outside learning space and terrace garden at St Marylebone CE School, relandscaping and enriching the St Marylebone Parish Church Gardens and the Westminster Mind’s Fig Tree Gardening Club. As part of The Queen’s Green Canopy initiative, in celebration of Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, we sponsored the planting of 11 trees on housing estates across Westminster. This unique initiative encourages people from across the United Kingdom to ‘Plant a Tree for the Jubilee’, particularly in urban communities – where residents are most likely to benefit from more greenery.

Sustainable retail mix

We are thrilled that the UK’s leading fashion rental app, By Rotation, launched their holiday pop-up at 98 Marylebone Lane. With community as its core value, By Rotation offered a more sustainable approach to its customers’ wardrobes, aiming to transform the way we consume fashion. Customers visiting the store had access to a specially curated rental edit as well as a charity collection featuring second-hand items from Shelter UK. All rental proceeds from the edit will be donated to the charity, helping to tackle homelessness in the UK.

By Rotation is an exciting addition to our tenant mix and joins a number of sustainable retailers in Marylebone Village including Isabel Manns, Ace & Tate, Allbirds, Dinny Hall, The Organic Pharmacy, Monica Vinader, Theory and The Little Greene Paint Company.

Call of the wild The recently restored office space at 4 Bentinck Street now features two wildflower green roofs and three external terraces. There are now over 20 green roofs across the estate.

80sqm+

“We recognise how important it is to enhance our environment and this project funded by Howard de Walden along with our work with the Westminster Tree Trust and other organisations, are part of our contribution to improve the environment for local residents.”

Mark Kildea

regarding The Queen’s Green Canopy

Going green

The highly developed nature of our estate means that our focus is on creating green coverage at roof level and through the introduction of street planting where possible.

We have numerous planters on Marylebone Lane managed alongside our retailers and on Wigmore Place, our first ‘green mews’.

WE ARE MEMBERS OF WILD WEST END AND ARE COMMITTED TO INTEGRATING GREEN ROOFS WHERE FEASIBLE.

Net zero by 2040 We have committed to becoming a net zero carbon business by 2040 and are due to publish our pathway towards achieving this within the next few months. For the first time this year, we also obtained the Planet Mark Business Certification, which demonstrates our commitment to continually measuring and reducing our carbon emissions.

Sustainable retail mix We are thrilled that the UK’s leading fashion rental app, By Rotation launched their holiday pop-up at 98 Marylebone Lane. With community as its core value, By Rotation offered a more sustainable approach to its customers’ wardrobes, aiming to transform the way we consume fashion.