Breadcrumb

Responsible Occupier Award finalists

This category recognises occupiers who actively drive sustainability by mandating or prioritising sustainable building standards within their tenancy agreements, influencing the market toward greener practices. The summaries below, developed from finalist submissions and edited for clarity and consistency, highlight key approaches to embedding sustainability within occupancy strategies. 
Madrid office building

GSK HQ - Project Emerald 
Leading the way in sustainable occupancy and workplace wellbeing 

GSK's London headquarters, Project Emerald, demonstrates exceptional commitment to sustainable occupancy through BREEAM Outstanding certification and pioneering workplace innovations. The office features Europe's largest corporate vertical farm, producing 20,000 organic plants annually while using 90% less water than conventional farming. A bespoke Materials Life Cycle Guide enables circular economy outcomes, while the closed-loop Washbox system conserves 63,000 litres of water. Informed by extensive workplace science research, the project achieved WELL Platinum certification, delivering measurable improvements to employee health and wellbeing while setting new benchmarks for responsible occupancy in the UK commercial sector. 

GSK HQ - Project Emerald 
Leading the way in sustainable occupancy and workplace wellbeing 

GSK's London headquarters, Project Emerald, demonstrates exceptional commitment to sustainable occupancy through BREEAM Outstanding certification and pioneering workplace innovations. The office features Europe's largest corporate vertical farm, producing 20,000 organic plants annually while using 90% less water than conventional farming. A bespoke Materials Life Cycle Guide enables circular economy outcomes, while the closed-loop Washbox system conserves 63,000 litres of water. Informed by extensive workplace science research, the project achieved WELL Platinum certification, delivering measurable improvements to employee health and wellbeing while setting new benchmarks for responsible occupancy in the UK commercial sector. 

M&G 10 Fenchurch Avenue 
Collaborative approach drives outstanding performance at London headquarters 

M&G's 10 Fenchurch Avenue in London demonstrates how structured collaboration between tenant, landlord and managing agents can achieve BREEAM In-Use Outstanding certification. The office building showcases measurable sustainability gains through green lease clauses, joint operational reviews and targeted initiatives. Key achievements include a 99.8% reduction in fuel emissions through biomethane adoption and 27.1 tCO₂e savings from lighting upgrades. The Green Buildings Forum exemplifies how shared environmental responsibility and evidence-based improvements can transform operational performance in commercial offices. 

Nike: The Terrace  
Pioneering sustainable logistics through collaborative occupier leadership 

Nike's 1.3 million square foot UK Distribution Centre in Corby demonstrates exemplary responsible occupancy through proactive collaboration with landlords and developers. Achieving BREEAM Outstanding (90.1%), the project showcases groundbreaking sustainability requirements embedded from inception, including 967-tonne timber frame, green steel, renewable energy readiness and comprehensive biodiversity measures. The Terrace sets new standards for logistics real estate, proving how global occupiers can drive market transformation through strategic partnerships, rigorous ESG targets aligned with UN SBTi, and unwavering commitment to environmental performance and employee wellbeing. 

PwC BV 
Portfolio-wide sustainable occupancy across the Netherlands 

PwC Netherlands has achieved BREEAM In-Use Outstanding across its entire 12-location office portfolio, with most scores around 90%, subsequently reconfirmed with a six-star rating. As a responsible tenant, PwC actively influences building performance through binding Paris Proof commitments (<70 kWh/m²) in lease agreements. Collaborative interventions include 3,750 solar panels in Amsterdam, thermal energy storage in Rotterdam, and enhanced lighting in Utrecht. This portfolio-based approach, developed with the Dutch Green Building Council, demonstrates how tenants can drive market-wide sustainability improvements while advancing towards net zero by 2030. 

The July - Boat & Co 
Pioneering tenant-led sustainability through collaborative lease agreements 

The July's Boat & Co hotel in Amsterdam demonstrates exceptional tenant responsibility through an innovative lease agreement with building owner Bouwinvest. This partnership mandates BREEAM In-Use certification (achieving 'Very Good' in 2025) and annual 2% reductions in energy, water, and carbon emissions. The collaboration piloted Spectral's AI-driven heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, reducing energy consumption by 9% and saving 186,000 kWh annually. By treating sustainability as a shared responsibility between tenant and landlord, this hospitality operation sets a market-leading example of how lease agreements can drive measurable environmental performance improvements. 

University of Westminster, Harrow Sports Hall 
University demonstrates institutional commitment through sustainable sports facility delivery 

The University of Westminster's Harrow Sports Hall exemplifies responsible occupancy in the higher education sector. Located in London, this modular sports facility achieved BREEAM Excellent (70.8%) with full marks in land use and ecology. The university mandated sustainability from project inception, delivering an all-electric building with verified +22.02% biodiversity net gain, more than double national requirements. As both owner and occupier, Westminster demonstrates how institutional clients can drive supply chain sustainability while creating facilities that serve over 2,000 student athletes. 

Lambeth palace

M&G 10 Fenchurch Avenue 
Collaborative approach drives outstanding performance at London headquarters 

M&G's 10 Fenchurch Avenue in London demonstrates how structured collaboration between tenant, landlord and managing agents can achieve BREEAM In-Use Outstanding certification. The office building showcases measurable sustainability gains through green lease clauses, joint operational reviews and targeted initiatives. Key achievements include a 99.8% reduction in fuel emissions through biomethane adoption and 27.1 tCO₂e savings from lighting upgrades. The Green Buildings Forum exemplifies how shared environmental responsibility and evidence-based improvements can transform operational performance in commercial offices. 

 

Nike, the terrace

Nike: The Terrace  
Pioneering sustainable logistics through collaborative occupier leadership 

Nike's 1.3 million square foot UK Distribution Centre in Corby demonstrates exemplary responsible occupancy through proactive collaboration with landlords and developers. Achieving BREEAM Outstanding (90.1%), the project showcases groundbreaking sustainability requirements embedded from inception, including 967-tonne timber frame, green steel, renewable energy readiness and comprehensive biodiversity measures. The Terrace sets new standards for logistics real estate, proving how global occupiers can drive market transformation through strategic partnerships, rigorous ESG targets aligned with UN SBTi, and unwavering commitment to environmental performance and employee wellbeing. 

PWC BV

PwC BV 
Portfolio-wide sustainable occupancy across the Netherlands 

PwC Netherlands has achieved BREEAM In-Use Outstanding across its entire 12-location office portfolio, with most scores around 90%, subsequently reconfirmed with a six-star rating. As a responsible tenant, PwC actively influences building performance through binding Paris Proof commitments (<70 kWh/m²) in lease agreements. Collaborative interventions include 3,750 solar panels in Amsterdam, thermal energy storage in Rotterdam, and enhanced lighting in Utrecht. This portfolio-based approach, developed with the Dutch Green Building Council, demonstrates how tenants can drive market-wide sustainability improvements while advancing towards net zero by 2030. 

 

the royal mint

The July - Boat & Co 
Pioneering tenant-led sustainability through collaborative lease agreements 

The July's Boat & Co hotel in Amsterdam demonstrates exceptional tenant responsibility through an innovative lease agreement with building owner Bouwinvest. This partnership mandates BREEAM In-Use certification (achieving 'Very Good' in 2025) and annual 2% reductions in energy, water, and carbon emissions. The collaboration piloted Spectral's AI-driven heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, reducing energy consumption by 9% and saving 186,000 kWh annually. By treating sustainability as a shared responsibility between tenant and landlord, this hospitality operation sets a market-leading example of how lease agreements can drive measurable environmental performance improvements. 

the royal mint

University of Westminster, Harrow Sports Hall 
University demonstrates institutional commitment through sustainable sports facility delivery 

The University of Westminster's Harrow Sports Hall exemplifies responsible occupancy in the higher education sector. Located in London, this modular sports facility achieved BREEAM Excellent (70.8%) with full marks in land use and ecology. The university mandated sustainability from project inception, delivering an all-electric building with verified +22.02% biodiversity net gain, more than double national requirements. As both owner and occupier, Westminster demonstrates how institutional clients can drive supply chain sustainability while creating facilities that serve over 2,000 student athletes.