Landsec has appointed Jennie Colville, former head of sustainability and CSR director at Capita, as its new sustainability boss.
Colville, who has also worked for Linklaters, RSA Insurance and Kent County Council, will lead the landlord’s sustainability strategy across its £10.8bn property portfolio.
During a 20-year career in sustainability, Colville has worked with more than 500 small and medium-sized businesses on improving their environmental credentials.
She has been hired to replace Caroline Hill, Landsec’s former director of corporate affairs and sustainability, who left for Lloyds Banking Group last year after five years with the landlord.
Hill introduced Landsec’s long-term environmental strategy in 2019, aimed at reducing carbon emissions by 70% from a 2014 baseline by 2030.
The strategy includes measures such as setting a shadow price of carbon for all of Landsec’s investment decisions, an approach that creates a theoretical financial cost for the carbon produced by a project.
It also involves using more environmentally friendly materials in its construction work, with all future developments now net zero schemes, as well as installing renewable energy sources such as solar panels where possible in buildings across its portfolio.
Colville, who will be tasked with implementing the measures and developing the plan further, said the company had “established itself as an early leader in this area and a force for good in society”.
Nick de Mestre, Landsec’s managing director for strategy, research and corporate finance, added: “Environmental and social sustainability are vitally important to Landsec and all our stakeholders, and we are committed to shaping a better future by leading our industry in this area.
“Under Jennie’s stewardship, we will continue to build on our market-leading ESG efforts, ensuring our approach to sustainability continues to underpin our purpose of creating sustainable places, connecting communities and realising potential.”
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