More than 1 in 4 businesses in the UK and US still don’t have a plan for reducing carbon from their estates

Mace has today (23 November) released the findings of an independent poll (by YouGov) that gathered the views of more than 1,500 senior business leaders from across the UK and the US. 

The poll formed part of Mace’s Carbon Survey report which has been published for a third consecutive year. Mace’s Carbon Survey was issued to over 3,000 business leaders and looked specifically at how organisations are tackling the carbon challenge within their existing property and infrastructure portfolios. 

A clear majority of respondents agree that addressing the climate challenge takes precedence, with a quarter (25%) reporting they had prioritised carbon reduction over profit in a business decision in the past 12 months.

Carbon reduction is also of high importance to job hunters, with more than half (56%) of respondents stating a business’ sustainability efforts will be considered when making employment decisions.

The YouGov polling, when merged with Mace’s additional global survey data, found a clear majority of business leaders (90%) believe that the property and infrastructure industry has progressed its carbon reduction efforts in the past year; and most (89%) are confident that their organisation is on track to achieve its own reduction targets. 

There was also an increased sense of urgency to address climate challenges over the past year, with 60% of those surveyed having set tougher targets in the past year or having accelerated their efforts to meet existing targets.

The polling uncovered a growing recognition that more needs to be done to curb the climate challenge, with approximately seven in 10 respondents (up from 46% in 2020) saying more should be done to cut carbon emissions by those responsible for developing, constructing and operating buildings and infrastructure.  

Mark Holmes, Deputy Chairman of Mace, said: 

“The property and infrastructure industry is at the forefront of a world which is growing fast. We are responsible for delivering the foundations that global societies will need for the future. As we work toward building a better tomorrow, our sector needs to ensure it is always working in a responsible, sustainable way. 

“This year’s findings paint a compelling picture of improvement right across the world with the US in particular demonstrating significant leaps forward. However, it is clear that far more needs to be done and business leaders are keen to see our industry stepping up with solutions. The carbon challenge is not an opportunity to compete and those in a position of influence and global reach, such as Mace, must do more to bring the entire industry on the journey with us.’’