BPF announces new sustainability chair

Katherine Sherwin, Global Head of Real Assets Sustainable Investing at BlackRock, has been announced as the new Chair of the British Property Federation (BPF) Sustainability Committee. Katherine was formerly Vice Chair of the Committee, and is succeeded in that role by Mat Lown, Partner at TFT.

Katherine is responsible for developing and implementing strategies that advance sustainable investing and ESG integration across BlackRock’s Real Assets global platform, working with BlackRock’s real estate and infrastructure investment teams to integrate sustainability considerations and risk factors within their investment processes, asset management activities and wider business strategies.

As Chair of the BPF Sustainability Committee, Katherine will help to lead and co-ordinate the BPF’s work on tackling climate change, including work on green finance and on retrofitting assets, and will support the real estate sector on the journey to net zero.

Katherine Sherwin, new Chair of the BPF Sustainability Committee, said:

“Property is one of the largest contributors of greenhouse gas emissions in the UK, which means that the BPF and the wider real estate sector have a critical role to play in tackling climate change and delivering on the Government’s net zero targets.

“It is a real honour to be appointed Chair of the BPF Sustainability Committee at such an important moment, when the sector is at a tipping point in accelerating its shift towards a low carbon, sustainable future. I look forward to partnering with the BPF to help drive net zero ambition across the industry and to encourage greater cooperation and collaboration.

“I know the BPF would like to thank Richard Quartermaine at Hammerson, the departing Chair, for all of his hard work over the last couple of years and, on behalf of the entire BPF Sustainability Committee, we wish him well for the future.”