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Articles by Guy Grainger
Why energy resilient buildings are commanding massive rent premiums
With power grids buckling under the weight of AI data centres and electric vehicle fleets, corporate real estate is facing an energy crisis. Discover how smart retrofits and on-site microgrids are turning commercial buildings from passive power drains into highly profitable energy assets, writes Guy Grainger. Energy security and its implications for business as usual have landed at the feet of executives.
The traditional role of buildings as energy consumers is changing amid rising supply disruptions, surging demand, and more volatile pricing. Retrofitting measures and artificial intelligence-driven building management systems can improve energy efficiency and lead to significant cost savings while supporting longer-term resilience.
Real estate's next value-add opportunity is sustainability
Best-in-class real estate nowadays consist of buildings that measure up on operational performance, employee experience and tech enablement. With potentially obsolete property stock sitting in high-value markets, sustainable retrofits are a significant value-add opportunity for investors. Not only is improving sustainability in property an environmental imperative, it's a way to generate significant financial returns in real estate.
Banks and debt providers: the key to unlocking green finance
Real estate faces a huge gap in financing its net zero plans at the pace and scale needed to make them fit for a low-carbon future. Governments have a crucial role through providing direct finance mechanisms, cultivating public-private partnerships and creating transparent policies. As the market rebounds from recent economic challenges, there will be an opportunity in 2025 to initiate decarbonization projects and accelerate the low-carbon transition.
How can we scale decarbonization for US commercial real estate?
Today, a growing number of US cities and states have performance standards designed to reduce operational energy and carbon in buildings. Incentives, such as those from the federal Inflation Reduction Act, can greatly increase the rate of energy retrofits sector wide.
2024 a tipping point for Sustainable Buildings? Demand now outstrips supply in major cities
Guy Grainger at JLL, writing for WEF, believes 2024 will be the tipping point when returns for investing in sustainable office buildings will start to pay dividends for building owners. That’s because, according to JLL research, there is now a good premium on rents for sustainable buildings in important locations: just over 7% across eight cities in North America, around 10% across nine cities in the Asia Pacific and more than 11% in London.
Rising Demand for Low Carbon Space Will Outstrip Supply
The supply-demand imbalance for low carbon office space will force owners and occupiers to collaborate on reducing emissions. By Guy Grainger, Global Head of Sustainable Services & ESG, JLL As corporates eye their upcoming 2030 sustainability targets and re-assess their post-Covid workplace strategy, focus is sharpening on low carbon buildings.
Teaming up to decarbonize real estate: This is how cities can achieve net-zero
There is widespread support for a more collaborative approach to achieving net zero for cities. Strong partnerships between city governments, real estate occupiers and investors are instrumental to driving the net-zero carbon agenda. A more collaborative business model will require a change in mindset among many city administrations, which should see real estate owners, developers, investors and occupiers as long-term partners to achieve environment goals.
Give city leaders the powers they need to build back better
Surely political parties of all leanings can agree on science-based targets to combat global heating, and city leaders must have the power to plan and execute local policies to clean our air, energy and footprint. I have been quoted in the past as saying my dream job would be Mayor of London, the city where I live and work. That much is true – but in my dream, I have a broad range of fully devolved powers like the mayors of New York, Singapore or Hamburg.
City leaders need power to adapt
My dream job would be mayor of London – but in my dream, I have fully devolved powers like the mayors of New York or Hamburg. I recently spoke at a virtual event by international affairs organisation Chatham House on cities’ resilience to pandemics and other crises. It got me thinking: who is accountable for what happens in urban areas? Fellow panellist Shirley Rodrigues, London deputy mayor for environment and energy, laid out the realities of a Covid-19 world.
Adjust your business model or die
Ask 50 different people how best to combat the climate crisis and expect nearly 50 different answers. Doing something is better than nothing, but we should focus on what has the most impact. You probably recycle at home and think you’re doing your bit for the environment. This is a start, but if you work in the real estate industry it’s a tiny element considering the potential impact you can have in your profession.
Propski 2016 – it’s not Davos, but it’s great for networking! - UK CEO Blog
As the Global leaders of multinational businesses meet in Davos this week, I decided to do some networking of a different kind, attending Propski – the networking and skiing event held for young professionals in Val Thorens. Over the last 4 years the event has grown from 100 people to over 250 attending this year and the founders, two of my colleagues, Chris Walters and Will Chambers help to organise this successful event.
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