Careers
Responsible & Sustainable Development
At Trammell Crow Company—CBRE’s real estate development subsidiary—James, senior vice president & director of sustainability, is driving sustainable change to vastly improve carbon emissions in the building process, from start to finish.
May 16, 2023 3 Minute Read
TCC is driving change in the way our projects produce embodied and, ultimately, operational carbon. It’s a big responsibility, but with a dedicated staff and the commitment of leadership, we are on a path of transforming our development model.
“TCC has always been committed to developing sustainable communities. Our community has just gotten a whole lot bigger.”
That’s how James describes Trammell Crow Company’s evolving and transformative approach to combating global climate change and improving communities. TCC, the development arm of parent company CBRE, is implementing ways to drive sustainable change across the organization and its US$30B in-process portfolio and project pipeline—for ourselves, our capital partners and our occupiers.
Embodied carbon, found in or produced during the fabrication of building materials, is a significant component of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The built environment—constructing and operating buildings—generates about 40% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions annually.
“So, we have a lot to do around our embodied carbon. That said, we think like occupiers and owners of these buildings too. As developers, we choose each building’s mechanical equipment and appliances. We need to make every selection for these buildings—start to finish, top to bottom—so that they’re built and operate within a framework of sustainability.”
From now through year-end, TCC will organize around five new sustainability initiatives to vastly improve—and simplify—its approach to development: a partnership with Altus Power to install 300MW of onsite solar energy systems at TCC-developed industrial properties; universal sustainability specifications for all building types; enhanced internal educational programs and policies that support those certifications; investing in pilot programs that will drive change throughout the industry; and measuring embodied carbon on TCC projects to enhance accountability and measure improvements across the portfolio.
“TCC is driving change in the way our projects produce embodied and, ultimately, operational carbon. It’s a big responsibility, but with a dedicated staff and the commitment of leadership, we are on a path of transforming our development model. That’s what we’re working toward. That’s what we’ll achieve.”
To learn more about how we’re realizing a sustainable future, download our Corporate Responsibility Report here.
That’s how James describes Trammell Crow Company’s evolving and transformative approach to combating global climate change and improving communities. TCC, the development arm of parent company CBRE, is implementing ways to drive sustainable change across the organization and its US$30B in-process portfolio and project pipeline—for ourselves, our capital partners and our occupiers.
Embodied carbon, found in or produced during the fabrication of building materials, is a significant component of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The built environment—constructing and operating buildings—generates about 40% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions annually.
“So, we have a lot to do around our embodied carbon. That said, we think like occupiers and owners of these buildings too. As developers, we choose each building’s mechanical equipment and appliances. We need to make every selection for these buildings—start to finish, top to bottom—so that they’re built and operate within a framework of sustainability.”
From now through year-end, TCC will organize around five new sustainability initiatives to vastly improve—and simplify—its approach to development: a partnership with Altus Power to install 300MW of onsite solar energy systems at TCC-developed industrial properties; universal sustainability specifications for all building types; enhanced internal educational programs and policies that support those certifications; investing in pilot programs that will drive change throughout the industry; and measuring embodied carbon on TCC projects to enhance accountability and measure improvements across the portfolio.
“TCC is driving change in the way our projects produce embodied and, ultimately, operational carbon. It’s a big responsibility, but with a dedicated staff and the commitment of leadership, we are on a path of transforming our development model. That’s what we’re working toward. That’s what we’ll achieve.”
To learn more about how we’re realizing a sustainable future, download our Corporate Responsibility Report here.
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