Led by the Better Buildings Partnership (BBP), on behalf of its members, and delivered collaboratively through engagement with the BBP Owner Occupier Forum, this BBP Industry Insight Paper is based on a series of structured, in-depth interviews with owners and occupiers.

This research involved 8 property owners representing £34.42bn AUM and 9 property occupiers, representing organisations from the FTSE 250-100 across a range of sectors. It was based on independently conducted in-depth interviews, designed to better understand the challenges and opportunities that exist between property owners and occupiers.

A series of interview topics were designed and considered by the Working Group, providing a structure for open discussion on experience and the identification of common themes.

The interview topics were:

1. The engagement characteristics that govern the relationship between owners and occupiers.
2. The balance between change driven by enthusiasm of individuals or embedded in company decision making.
3. The strategic, cultural, legal, and practical barriers to effective engagement on sustainability issues.
4. Specific barriers to positive outcomes e.g., financing and funding models for property improvements.
5. The changing nature of the owner-occupier relationship, prior to, during and following, the COVID pandemic.
6. Critical success factors for effective collaboration and common themes influencing mutually beneficial outcomes.
7. Solutions that can re-frame owner - occupier ESG collaboration with potential to be scaled across the real estate sector.

The findings from this paper are aimed at a range of audiences who have a role to play in the transition to a more sustainable real estate sector with net zero buildings.

Key audiences include, but are not limited to:

• Property owners and asset managers
• Occupiers
• Managing agents
• Leasing agents and property legal service providers
• Industry bodies
• Policy makers and regulators