17-acre estate makes renewable energy commitment with plans for solar panels leading the way for urban energy production and ongoing energy diversification commitment for 2022 and beyond
Environmental challenges are high on the agenda with COP 26, The UN climate change conference, currently taking place in Glasgow. As nations work towards achieving the goals of the Paris agreement on a global scale, Birmingham businesses are increasingly considering how their operations and premises support environmental objectives.
Birmingham is already playing its part with a Hydrogen bus pilot underway, a clean air zone in the city centre and an ambitious target of a 60% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2027 compared to 1990 levels. The most up to date government data indicates that in 2015, Birmingham’s CO2 emissions have decreased by 33.7% against a 1990 baseline.
Larger environmental initiatives and targets are only as good as the local projects that contribute towards achieving them which is why Brindleyplace has taken action in terms of how the estate’s energy is sourced and the wider green agenda that supports businesses that are based there.
Matt Long, Head of Tenant Engagement & Placemaking, said:
“Innovation is at the heart of everything we do here at Brindleyplace and when it comes to the environment, we don’t just want to be following in the footsteps of others but really showcasing what is possible in Birmingham. These really are exciting times for the city and Brindleyplace as we welcome more new businesses and a dedicated tram stop opening soon that will help reduce emissions further. However, this is an ongoing project that has a net zero goal so we look forward to working with all of our tenants and visitors towards achieving this.”
The first step has been to ensure that all electricity supplied throughout the 17-acre estate comes from renewable sources, thus giving everyone associated with the estate the peace-of-mind that they are doing their bit. In addition, plans are underway to introduce a solar energy farm in 2022 so that Brindleyplace can supply its own tenants and when there is an excess of supply, feed this back in to the national grid.
With an abundance of commercial roof space available that is not inhibited by other nearby tall buildings the power of the sun is waiting to be harvested for the benefit of all.
Jonathan Aspinall, Director of Real Estate Management, said:
“The feedback from our businesses and their employees is that the environment and how their workplace impacts it is not just important, but is a priority. As always, we listen to the feedback from all of our businesses and look at the options available to help them support environmental objectives. We are very fortunate here at Brindleyplace to be blessed with open spaces for people to enjoy and an estate design that has stood the test of time to allow for the flexibility to accommodate new initiatives such as this.”
Going forwards there are initiatives under consideration for maximising the ecosystem that exists on the banks of Birmingham’s historic and world-renowned canal waterways that form a pivotal part of life at Brindleyplace. Existing electric vehicle charging point availability is being expanded to meet increasing demand as people move away from petrol engines. In addition, expanding the number of beehives at the estate will further contribute towards the broader effort to curb the nationwide decline in bee numbers by reintroducing bees to urban areas.
The outcomes of COP26 for the global environment are unknown at this stage but proactivity is clearly underway at Brindleyplace which can only be positive for the wider Birmingham business community.
