Landlord Grosvenor names sustainability chief, is retrofitting London properties

By

Nigel TAYLOR

Published
Jun 14, 2023

Grosvenor is intensifying its focus on the group’s environmental strategies. The property giant has promoted Tor Burrows as Group Sustainability Director to lead its strategy across all its international property.

This includes overseeing the group’s recently announced global carbon commitment to reduce emissions in line with limiting global warming to 1.5°C.

Burrows will also continue as Executive Director of Sustainability at Grosvenor Property UK, overseeing the strategy and delivery of the business’ “ambitious environmental and social sustainability goals”.   

In her expanded role, she will build on “Grosvenor’s progress in advancing sustainability and on its mission to reduce carbon emissions by decarbonising property holdings; investing in businesses and technologies able to disrupt the food industry’s carbon intensive practices; and to preserve, restore and enhance rural environments”.

To support the ongoing UK strategy, Ed Green has also been promoted to Sustainability Director for the UK property business. He will be responsible for leading its social impact and sustainability team. Ed previously co-led the delivery of the Alternative Investment strategy within the sustainability team and led the project to re-design Grosvenor Square into a biodiverse urban garden.

Grosvenor has wide property interest around the world and is a key player in UK retail. It owns vast swathes of London’s West End (including retail magnet streets in Mayfair and Belgravia), as well as part-owing the hugely successful Liverpool One mall.

The company said recent highlights in its environmental sustainability journey include completing over 600,000 sq ft of retrofits in its historic London portfolio, which includes around 1,000 businesses, as part of a £90 million commitment to make properties more energy efficient.

It has also achieved a 24% reduction in emissions between 2020 and 2021 within Grosvenor’s UK property business, “which is on course to reduce emissions by 90% by 2040”.  

CEO Mark Preston said: “Having set the strategy and established such a successful sustainability programme within our UK property business, Tor’s expertise will be invaluable in ensuring that we continue to turn our sustainability ambitions into action and make progress across every element of our organisation globally.”