Our Approach

Harry PlattWe develop and manage properties that support work-led regeneration by allowing businesses to flourish, create employment and boost their local areas. We give a new lease of life to historic buildings and support the growth of small and medium sized enterprises. New industries such as creative industries are 27% of our customer base.

Working with customers and partners, we are committed to managing our own environmental footprint. We do this through building efficiency improvements and training for centre staff in addressing key sustainability themes. Our site security system upgrades ensure we maintain high standards of health, safety and security.

In 2010/11 we made significant progress with E3, Workspace Group’s Community Investment Strategy; which engages education, employment and entrepreneur partners. We continue to drive this programme in partnership with Business in the Community, the Greater London Authority, the Cricket Foundation and our customers.

We achieved eight of our nine targets for 2010/11 and partially achieved one. This high level of achievement reflects a focus on core business essentials in our target setting process (2010/11 Sustainability Target Review). Our 2011/12 initiatives continue to reflect our responsible business strategy. 

This Responsibility website summarises key information on how we implement sustainable practices across our operations and ways you can get involved.


Harry Platt
Chief Executive

Our Sustainability Priorities and Implementation

We have four core sustainability priorities which are reflected in our operational activities:

  • Carbon management – understand our energy use, identifying improvements, so we reduce our costs and carbon dioxide emissions
  • Waste management – improve our recycling rates and reduce waste sent to landfill
  • Customer satisfaction – meet our customers’ needs and help them improve their sustainability
  • Customer safety and security – protect our customers and improve our health and safety policy


Initiatives for 2011/12

For 2011/12, we will continue to focus on how sustainability can enhance our business performance. We have identified 16 initiatives, rooted in our core customer-facing business, these include (2011/12 Sustainability Initiatives):
  • Creating an economic sustainability barometer
  • Research on embodied carbon
  • Sustainable procurement training for staff
  • Sustainability related targets in the performance agreements for identified staff
  • Improving the recycling rate average across all centres to 55%
  • Installing digital energy monitoring at all sites
  • Increasing the percentage of customers who receive e-billing to 50%
  • Establishing a central community fund for our centres

How We Measure Our Performance

We measure our performance using a number of metrics, such as our carbon dioxide emissions and the proportion of waste diverted from landfill. Our performance in 2010/11 is set out in the Environmental Impacts section of this website.

Creating Business Value

Sustainability is a core driver for Workspace Group. We see the value in operating as a sustainable business:

  • A business planning process incorporating sustainability ensures we identify and mitigate risks and take advantage of opportunities
  • Resource efficiencies drive down costs, savings which can then be passed to our stakeholders
  • We attract and retain tenants through responsible actions and addressing customer satisfaction. Indeed, 89% of our customers agree that a responsible landlord is important to their business.
Customer success

We look forward to embracing new opportunities and to thinking creatively about further incorporating sustainability into all aspects of how we do business.

Responsibility Governance Structure

  • Harry Platt, CEO
    Oversight of our responsibility programme.
  • Sustainability Committee,
    Chaired by Angus Boag, Development Director
    Meets on a quarterly basis to discussthe implementation of our strategy and identify opportunities.  The Committee is formed by our target owners and reports to the Board on our progress.
  • Target Owners
    Ownership of the delivery of our targets is defined at the beginning of each year and allocated to individual employees.  They form part of our Sustainability Committee.
Home to the entrepreneur Home to the entrepreneur
Annual Report and Accounts 2011
The Signpost The Signpost
Gaining competitive advantage through the supply chain
Community Investment Strategy Community Investment Strategy
E3 education, employment, entrepreneurship
Club Workspace Inspiresme.co.uk


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