CBRE has announced its Climate Transition Strategy, a highly ambitious and comprehensive roadmap designed to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2040 across all aspects of the company’s operations. The strategy is underpinned by Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) validation, setting a framework to guide and accelerate its progress towards a low-carbon economy. The transition plan emphasizes sustainability and long-term resilience, helping CBRE, its clients, and the industry reach environmental goals at scale.
The strategy is structured around four key pathways: maximizing resource efficiency, increasing the use of renewable energy, electrifying building systems and vehicles, and decarbonizing the supply chain. These strategies are designed for both CBRE’s operations and for the properties it manages for clients.
Since 2019, CBRE has already achieved an 18% reduction in absolute GHG emissions across Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. Moving forward, by 2030, CBRE aims to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions from its own operations by 50%, and emissions per square foot from the properties it manages by 55% (from a 2019 baseline).
As the largest global property manager and commercial property developer, nearly 97% of CBRE’s emissions come from the properties it manages and develops for clients. This makes collaboration with clients and suppliers critical to reaching its ambitious net-zero targets.
Key investments have been made to support this transition, including strategic partnerships with companies like Deepki, Emitwise, and Climate X, and the acquisition of the renewable energy advisory group from NRG Energy. These collaborations, along with financial-grade GHG emissions accounting, are positioning CBRE as a leader in sustainable real estate.
Rob Bernard, Chief Sustainability Officer at CBRE, explained, “Only a small number of global companies have reached this milestone of having both a validated net-zero target and a published transition plan. We aim to show our clients and suppliers the practical steps to achieving their own sustainability goals.”
CBRE, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm, operating in more than 100 countries and employing over 130,000 people globally. The company’s Climate Transition Strategy sets a new standard for sustainability within the real estate and property management industries and demonstrates CBRE’s commitment to leading the industry in the shift toward a low-carbon future.
