Sector-specific net zero strategies: What works for retail and property management?   

Consumers and businesses are asking after more sustainable products and services – and this demand will only grow.  

When it comes to decarbonisation, retailers are in full shop window view. Consumers, stakeholders and investors continuously expect more transparency – whether around products, supply chain, or progress towards sustainability targets. 

Meanwhile, many public sector and commercial tenants will only consider leasing buildings with the highest efficiency ratings – placing more pressure on landlords to make their properties as energy efficient as possible.

Every organisation is unique when it comes to portfolio and requirements. Although two distinctive industries, impactful decarbonisation culminates in some shared key points for retail and property management. Let’s look at them more closely. 

Energy use in buildings

Energy efficiency of buildings presents both a challenge and opportunity for businesses with a large portfolio of sites – decarbonisation ambitions are no exception.  

However, managing multiple locations without a coherent strategy can lead to dispersed efforts and issues with regulatory compliance.   

Building energy inspection and certification schemes help improve the energy efficiency of public and commercial buildings by highlighting a building’s energy performance. However, these schemes are not only an opportunity to showcase the energy performance of a building but an obligation.  

Whether you require Energy Performance Certificates (EPC), Display Energy Certificates (DEC) or TM44s, Inspired’s in-house team can support you and help simplify your compliance process.    

Our accredited assessors can carry out site surveys, issuing certifications and recommendations. We can also help you act on any recommendations to improve the energy efficiency of your building, reduce your carbon footprint and cut down your costs.  

The impact of supply and value chain

As a business, the first step of your decarbonisation is measuring your Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. Scope 1 and 2 emissions are operational emissions arising from energy and fuel use. 

Meanwhile, Scope 3 emissions arise from a business’s value chain, including suppliers, logistics providers, waste remediators, employees and customers. 

Although Scope 3 emissions are frequently cited as being out of a business’ control, this is not strictly true – stakeholder engagement is key.  

It’s important to understand your suppliers’ climate journey, update your procurement policy signal your commitment to reducing emissions and request emissions annually to help them improve their internal reporting. 

Inspired can help you identify and quantify all applicable Scope 3 emissions. A Scope 3 emissions inventory is recommended to help stakeholders understand a company’s full value chain and prioritise steps to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.