We believe that our long-term success is intrinsically linked to a healthy planet and the wellbeing of our people and the communities we are part of. This is why delivering environmental and social benefit sits at the core of our purpose, firmly alongside the delivery of commercial benefit, and not as a byproduct of it.
As the challenges we face heighten – the climate crisis, biodiversity loss and rising social inequality, to name a few – we know we need to be more ambitious in the role we can play. We have the scale, ambition and resolve to help tackle these challenges head-on, in collaboration with our partners, and communities to maximise our positive impact.
Find out how each of our businesses are contributing to our global sustainability priorities.
Click through to the different pages listed here to find out more.
We are committed to reducing our emissions in line with limiting global warming to 1.5°C, whilst adapting to a changing climate. Mitigating climate change is the existential challenge of our generation. Having already breached the 1.5°C Paris Agreement limit temporarily in 2024, we have little opportunity left to maintain or reduce this level of global warming long term.
Through our global carbon commitment, we are implementing business-wide transformation and investment, partnering with others to rapidly reduce emissions. We aim to drive the systemic changes required across the sectors in which we operate.
We recognise the complexity of the challenge ahead and are committed to continuous learning and sharing of our experiences with others to mitigate climate change for the benefit of current and future generations.
We are protecting, enhancing and restoring nature and biodiversity in our urban and rural areas, and investing in innovative companies that are regenerating the natural environment. Nature and its ecosystem service benefits are essential foundations of our economy and our way of life. The benefits of nature to our business are clear, from mitigating and adapting to climate change to improving the resilience of our land, assets and value chain.
These ecosystems provide essential services to our communities, and the people they serve. We take a localised approach to protecting, enhancing and restoring our natural assets. We prioritise understanding the nuances of local ecosystems and use our expertise, and support from our partners, to invest in projects that enhance local biodiversity and ecosystem resilience.
We support people and communities, both locally and globally, by responding to societal needs. Taking a localised and long-term approach, we are supporting people to create positive change, firstly through our business activities and, secondly, through charitable activities, predominantly via the Westminster Foundation.
We provide high-quality and affordable housing, support local communities and enable economies to thrive. We also work to improve social inclusion and seek to enable people to live healthier and happier lives through better access to high-quality food, opportunities for education and employment, access to sport and connection to nature.
Governance
We have developed a robust approach to the governance of sustainability across our international operations to ensure it is embedded in our decision-making.
Data accuracy
Improving data accuracy is essential for transparent reporting, and is typically a challenge to overcome in measuring the impact of sustainability strategies. Estimates are useful for setting direction, and understanding the relative materiality of emissions categories, but to enable better decision-making and drive meaningful impact we are continuously working to expand our collection of actual data. We have made significant progress, particularly with our energy and carbon data.
Decision-making
Environmental and social considerations are incorporated into our decision-making throughout Grosvenor. Whether it be a development proposal, lease agreement or investment proposition, environmental and social benefit is considered alongside commercial benefit at every level. Progress is tracked and reported on to ensure that we are accountable for our actions.
Learn more about how each part of Grosvenor has contributed to delivering on our three sustainability priorities by watching our short film and reading the selected case studies below.
Within our carbon commitment, we included our peatland initially within the “Monitor“ track, and therefore outside of the reduction pathways in the “Reduce” track. At the time, we were both seeking to collect comprehensive data on our peatland and for best practice and industry guidance to emerge, in order to create a credible emissions reduction strategy.
In 2024, we fulfilled the first part of this approach, assessing the condition of the peatland within our rural estates. There are ~22,000 hectares of peatland across the three estates – storing almost 36 million tonnes of CO2e. 74% of the peatland is in a near-natural state, allowing us to estimate that the emissions from these areas are occurring at natural levels. The remaining areas are either actively eroding or in a drained/modified condition, and these are the areas that are our focus for restoration as emissions will be unnaturally high. While we have only just collected this full picture of our peatland, we have previously understood the need for restoration and have had several projects underway for a number of years.
Across all conditions of peat, the annual emissions are currently ~43k tCO2e a year, and we recognise there is more to be done to reduce these emissions. This data will help us develop our overall peatland strategy by the end of 2025, and provide a roadmap for our future restoration work.
Working with architects Tonkin Liu and BDP, Grosvenor’s new design restores the oval lawn, adds woodlands and wetlands, and introduces around 70,000 plants, 44 new trees and 80,000 bulbs. The square will be a natural haven for wildlife and habitats, blending beauty and biodiversity to create a place for visitors and residents to reconnect with nature.
The transformation of Grosvenor Square is poised to significantly enhance the climate resilience of the local area. The increased vegetation will help moderate temperatures and absorb excess rainwater, reducing the risk of flooding and heat stress. These natural features not only foster thriving urban biodiversity but also create a landscape better equipped to withstand the challenges posed by climate change, benefiting both wildlife and the wider community for generations to come.
The redevelopment includes a new education building, where programmes funded by the Westminster Foundation will offer opportunities for children and adults to learn about biodiversity, the environment, climate change and the Square’s rich history.
Works on Grosvenor Square are due to complete by summer 2026.
Grosvenor Hart Homes is providing affordable homes and improving the life chances of vulnerable children, young people and their families.
Providing much needed social housing
Building on the refurbishment of 29 homes and a dedicated community facility in Chester, UK, in 2024 we acquired 40 new homes in Ellesmere Port. Our homes are delivered to high standards of environmental sustainability, their efficiency is optimised to reduce heating costs, minimising carbon emissions and their negative impact on the planet.
Building community wellbeing
We coordinate access to high-quality therapeutic services and provide a range of activities to develop people’s wellbeing and self-worth so that all individuals can achieve their full potential. These may include evidence-based parenting programmes or practical household skills and job readiness training. We also arrange structured peer support, evidenced to improve wellbeing, and a programme of tenant-led activities to facilitate the development of strong, supportive local communities.
Employment and routes into employment
We help to build the necessary skills to gain work through job brokerage and career mentoring to achieve financial stability. We do this by making the most of opportunities from Grosvenor’s supply chain and those stemming from engagement with local civic employers and other local businesses.
We also support tenants and the wider entrepreneur community through a structured business incubator programme that takes participants through the process of business start-up – from idea to business plan to launch – with the opportunity to pitch for seed funding. This is a unique and novel addition to the “housing plus” model.
View or download the documents below to learn more about our approach to sustainability and how we are tracking against our priorities.
Click here to see how we are reducing emissions in line with limiting global warming to 1.5°C.
Read our latest Annual Review to find out more about performance and progress in realising our environmental and social benefit goals.
Discover how our Grosvenor Property UK is tracking against stretching environmental and social impact goals.
Learn more about how the Grosvenor Hart Homes model, built on detailed research and a belief in the power of combining secure homes with tailored support, is delivering real change for vulnerable children, young people, and their families.
Find out how Grosvenor Food & AgTech's portfolio companies are helping to reshape the global food system through scalable, innovative solutions in the agrifood sector.
Find out how each of our businesses are contributing to our global carbon commitment.
Click through to the different pages listed here to read the full strategies.