The Better Buildings Partnership (BBP) has today announced the joining of Church Commissioners for England and LXi REIT to its membership, which now represents 52 organisations working collaboratively to transform the sustainability of the built environment. 

Sarah Ratcliffe, CEO, Better Buildings Partnership said: "We are delighted to welcome Church Commissioners for England and LXi REIT to the BBP membership. We look forward to supporting them on their sustainability journey, and working collaboratively to deliver industry leading sustainability initiatives and guidance for commercial property owners."

Paul Jaffe, Head of Sustainability: Real Assets, Church Commissioners for England, said: "As investors, we have a vital role to play in the transition to net zero across our portfolios. We are pleased to be working with partners within the Better Buildings Partnership and see great value in this initiative to help support our ambitions as a responsible investor. We look forward to collaborating with others through BBP.” 

Barbora Melezinkova, Head of ESG, LXi REIT said: “In a world where climate change signifies such material risks and opportunities for real estate assets, we know we have to act now with focus and at pace to avoid a reactive position down the line. With regulatory landscape and technological advancements now evolving so quickly, we are excited to share knowledge and collaborate with the BBP community to contribute to the UK’s common Net Zero goal and collectively ensure the resilience of our investments.”

Church Commissioners for England

The Church Commissioners for England (CCfE) exist to support the work and mission of the Church of England and are one of the largest charitable givers in the UK. The CCfE manage a £10.1bn investment fund in a responsible and ethical way, using the money made from investments to contribute towards the cost of mission projects, dioceses in low-income areas, bishops, cathedrals, and pensions.  

The Church Commissioners’ investment policy is to hold a diversified portfolio of investments across a broad range of asset classes, consistent with their ethical guidelines and their Responsible Investment (‘RI’) Framework. CCfE’s real asset portfolio combines directly held commercial real estate, alongside indirect commercial and mixed use real estate held with 3rd party specialists.

The CCfE set their first emissions reduction target on the road to a net zero portfolio by 2050. Since then The CCE have signed up to and adhere to the Principles for Responsible Investing (PRI), the UK’s 2020 Stewardship Code and are committed to being aligned to the Paris Agreement. They have received the IPE Awards for Best in Impact Investing for two consecutive years. Find out more about them here.

LXi REIT

Launched in 2017, LXi REIT plc is a UK Real Estate Investment Trust focused on delivering long-term, secure, inflation-linked income to investors. Its portfolio represents over £3bn and has c350 individual property investments across 13 market sectors.

As part of LXi REIT’s commitment to sustainability, they will shortly be publishing a Paris-aligned Net Zero target across their portfolio. Alongside this, over the past year they have increased their Scope 3 emissions data coverage to over 60% of their portfolio and engage regularly with their occupiers to drive collaboration across multiple sites on asset-specific Net Zero pathways. Find out more about their approach to ESG strategy here.