Whilst our headquarters in the centre of the Black Country do not afford a view of green lush countryside, we are increasingly aware that our close and wider environment need immediate consideration and protection.
With a team of 20 commercial property solicitors working on new leases of commercial buildings on a daily basis, we recognise that we are in a position where we can have some influence on environmental and sustainability considerations. We are, therefore, very keen to do our bit to make sure that ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) issues are brought to the fore in negotiations at the heads of terms stage.
We recognise that the environmental performance of our own building, and buildings that we are involved in documenting new leases for, are now an integral part of business risk management.
There are opportunities to make significant environmental improvements in most commercial buildings, but the scale of change required if we are to stand any chance of meeting the Government’s carbon reduction targets is progressing all too slowly.
Traditionally, the problem has always been that there is a discord between the owners of the buildings and occupiers in terms of environmental management. However, we consider that there has been a sea change for owners and occupiers and now is a time when both parties increasingly recognise that greater collaboration is needed and that if they work together, genuine change can be achieved.
As a business we have, therefore, made a commitment that wherever possible we will encourage our clients and contacts to consider documenting and agreeing terms for green leases or putting in place memorandums of understanding to try and improve the environmental efficiency or sustainability of a building.
