AREF Sustainability Series: Event 1 – Net Zero Real Assets: from Ambition to Reality

Fernanda is the Sustainability Reporting Manager at Landsec, leading all sustainability reporting and ESG engagement with investors and external benchmarks. Fernanda also leads Landsec’s climate change resilience work, including climate risk assessment and disclosure aligned with the TCFD recommendations.

Since Fernanda joined Landsec in 2017, after completing her MBA at Cass Business School, she has successfully led Landsec in improving its performance in key ESG benchmarks, including ranking first in the UK and Europe among peer group both for GRESB (Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark) and DJSI (Dow Jones Sustainability Index) and A-list in CDP.

Before moving to London, Fernanda worked for the largest Brazilian bank, developing projects in several areas, from process improvement to business model planning and franchising.

Sophie Carruth is responsible for delivering the sustainability strategy across LaSalle's European real estate portfolio. While she works on all aspects of ESG, her current focus is on developing a pathway to Net Zero Carbon, following LaSalle becoming a signatory to the BBP Climate Change Commitment in Sept 2019. Sophie is a key member of LaSalle’s Global Sustainability Committee and sits on the board of the Better Buildings Partnership.

Sam is passionate about helping businesses become stronger through sustainability and to use energy more efficiently. Sam recently joined CBRE Global Investors. Before this he worked for Carbon Intelligence since 2011 and played a key role in the development of their data services, wellbeing and approach to Commercial Real Estate clients. 

Sam directed how Carbon Intelligence addressed Net Zero Carbon in Commercial Real Estate. He was a member of the UKGBC Advancing Net Zero working group and the UKGBC Energy Use Intensity Metric working group. He has worked with IPUT, Hermes Real Estate, Aviva Investors and others in the development of Net Zero planning.

Sam is also well engaged in the Commercial Real Estate industry, to help understand the key challenges across the sector. He sits on the GRESB European Benchmarking Committee, the BBP REEB Benchmarking Committee and is a member of the UKGBC Future Leadership Forum Advisory Board, and is a co-author of the UKGBC “Scope 3 Guide for Commercial Real Estate”.

Stanley leads ESG origination and impact investment strategy for Aviva Investor’s Real Assets platform, advising investment teams across infrastructure, private debt, and real estate. He also leads the structuring and execution of best-in class green, sustainable or transition financing impact strategies. Stanley is the ESG representative on Investment Committees and Chairs the ESG Origination Forum.

Stanley previously worked in the UK Government and Parliament as an environment and energy specialist, advising MPs on green financing in major infrastructure projects. He has also supported sustainable development programmes for the UN and Hong Kong Legislative Council.

Stanley holds a BSc from the London School of Economics and is undertaking research at Cambridge University’s Sustainability Leadership Institute.

Georgie Nelson is Head of ESG for Real Estate at abrdn. She is responsible for heading up ESG strategy and integration for abrdn’s real estate investments business with a specialist focus on climate and biodiversity. She also sits in the Natural Capital team to support the company’s wider natural capital offering and is involved in some of the live pilots of the TNFD framework with numerous internal and external stakeholders.

Georgie sits on numerous expert industry working groups both in the UK and globally including co-chair of the European Investments Working Group for the Better Buildings Partnership and is a member of the technical standards board at Wilder Carbon. Prior to abrdn, Georgie worked at Carbon Intelligence supporting and delivering on sustainability solutions for investors and corporates.