The Better Buildings Partnership (BBP) today announced the launch of a new ESG training course supported and funded by the Property Advisors Forum (PAF).

The course has been designed to meet the specific needs of property professionals in capital markets, investment advisory, valuation, leasing and transactions-based roles. The full list of funding partners comprises Allsop, Avison Young, BNP Paribas, Carter Jonas, CBRE, Colliers, Cushman and Wakefield, Deloitte, Gerald Eve, GL Hearn, JLL, Knight Frank and Savills.

The training course is being developed collaboratively, with inputs from representatives of leading UK commercial property owners and managers, and members of the PAF. A steering group will oversee the course, ensuring it meets industry needs and the ever-evolving ESG issues that impact on commercial real estate. The course will be delivered by Hillbreak, a market leading ESG training and advisory firm.

Available from June this year, the course combines two half-days of interactive teaching with preparatory and post-course learning, providing advisors with insights into the context and client requirements around ESG and how to integrate ESG into investment decision-making process. Supported by a dedicated on-line platform, participants will engage in classroom-style learning and peer-to-peer knowledge sharing together with interview-based video and podcast content, written resources and case studies that reflect leading practice in ESG for the real estate sector.

The announcement of the course comes just a year after the BBP launched its highly popular ESG Training Course for Real Estate Professionals, designed for portfolio, fund and asset managers. The course has been attended by over 290 participants representing more than 59 companies and continues to experience high demand in 2022 with a further 300 participants already registered. Future plans for the BBP’s ESG training course include a series of further ‘elective’ modules to supplement the asset managers and advisors course covering topics such as Net Zero Carbon; ESG Data & Targets; Disclosure Regulations & Standards; Sustainable Finance and Social Value & Impact.

Sarah Ratcliffe, CEO, Better Buildings Partnership said: “As interest in ESG escalates across the industry, the skills shortage across the sector is becoming ever more apparent and this is why one of the BBP’s core objectives is to improve professionals’ understanding of ESG issues. Advisors play such a critical role in the transaction, valuation and leasing of commercial property and this course has been developed in response to clear demand from our members to equip advisors in discharging their responsibilities conscious of the risks and opportunities that ESG presents.”

George Roberts, Chair of the Property Advisors Forum said: “On behalf of the members of the Property Advisors Forum we are delighted to be funding the development of this course. Investors, asset managers and regulators today see ESG as an integral part of investment decision-making. Building the skills to address ESG risks and opportunities within property advisory practices will therefore be critical to protecting the value of real assets and decarbonising the built environment. I look forward to seeing the impact that this course will have, building on the tremendous success of the existing course for asset managers.”

Jon Lovell, co-founder of Hillbreak, said: “We’ve been so impressed by the excellent engagement of portfolio, fund and asset managers, together with other real estate investment professionals, in the programme since its launch last year, and no less delighted with the feedback we’ve received from them on the quality and impact of their learning experience. Building the course out to support the advisory firms to develop their capabilities in this area is a hugely important step for our industry, and we’re incredibly humbled by and grateful for the support of the Property Advisors Forum in helping to make this happen. We’re really looking forward to welcoming advisory professionals onto the programme!”