Respondents in the property & real estate sector believe their industry is taking the most proactive approach to sustainability

​As businesses strive to meet stringent ESG targets, those working in the property & real estate sector feel their industry is taking the most proactive approach to sustainability, according to our new 2023/24 Sustainability Census.

A total of 71 per cent of those respondents, believe the property & real estate sector continues to be proactive. It was swiftly followed by the non-profit sector at 67 per cent.

The report, conducted by Acre and Carnstone, offers insight into the true state of the sustainability profession to capture an accurate, global snapshot of working in a sustainability-related profession today.

More than 2,253 global sustainability professionals took part in Acre’s biggest-ever Sustainability Census report, a 43 per cent increase in participation from the 2020 CR Salary Survey.

The census revealed the sector most lacking in proactive sustainability approaches is the life sciences, pharma & health sector which is lagging behind with just 42 per cent of respondents believing their sector is proactively carving a sustainability pathway.

One reason for such diverse responses is likely to be the differing regulations which are more rigorous in some sectors and countries, for example New York City’s Local Law 97 and California’s Senate Bill 253.

Ben Flint, Sector Director, UK Real Estate, at Acre, said: “It is positive to see these results from the workforce in the property & real estate sector.

“Actively seeking innovative ways to introduce more sustainability practices into a sector is an obvious move in the right direction, but it has to be more than just a box-ticking exercise.

“I would hope that the sustainable measures put in place will produce tangible results in alignment with the company values for a better future, for people and the planet.”

Joelle Chen, Head of Sustainability - Asia, at Lendlease, said on page 18 of the census report: “My view is that all of us in sustainability need to keep challenging our organisations to think not only about doing ‘less bad’ but also about how we can do ‘more good’.

“This is a fundamental shift. Thinking about doing ‘more good’ pushes us from, say, managing carbon emissions within our direct operations to being prepared to tackle those tricky carbon emissions outside of our control.

“And aiming to do ‘more good’ is more likely to inspire our employees and align with their personal values.”

For further information about this statistic and other findings from the survey, including how organisations are actively pledging their dedication to advancing EDI, please click here to download a free copy of the full 2023/24 Sustainability Census.