20 Years: History & Future
In 20 years JLL has grown into a prominent centre of sustainability expertise for the real estate industry and we’ve witnessed it take huge strides forward on the sustainability front.
Major milestones include the birth of building certification systems, the development of robust carbon accounting rules, the formation of green building councils, the emergence of green bonds, the greenest Olympics in modern history, the first solar-powered cities and the start of the healthy building movement. The timeline looks back on the past 20 years and looks at what we know about the next 20 years.
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Upstream sustainability services established

Dolly the cloned sheep

Kyoto Protocol adopted

Biodiversity declines by 30%

BREEAM changes for the better

JLL creates the first UK environmental property benchmark

Gaping hole in ozone layer discovered

First sustainability index tracker hits the market

Government raises landfill tax

Protests against globalisation

Urban population approaches 50%

LEED green building program launches

FTSE4Good is launched

America refuses to ratify Kyoto Protocol

Government introduce a climate change levy

Human Genome Project concluded

JLL launches new environmental benchmark for uk shopping centres

Polio eliminated in Europe

GRI launched

Final text of EU buildings energy law published

JLL has advised on over 3GW of onshore wind development in the UK

Europe adopts first climate emissions trading law

JLL joins forces with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

JLL assures Land Securities' sustainability report

HIV/AIDS claims 2.5 million lives in sub-Saharan Africa

Hermes and Aviva founding signatories to the UNPRI

Kyoto Protocol enters into force

First Ecobuild conference

JLL launches new sustainability risk mapping service

40% of species threatened with extinction

First JLL property triathlon

UK introduces code for sustainable homes

JLL co-founds the UK Green Building Council

Barclays goes carbon neutral

EPCS introduced in England and Wales

IPCC and Al Gore share Nobel Peace Prize

JLL acquires Upstream

Construction starts on the world’s first sustainable city

Better Buildings Partnership formed

JLL formalises sustainability policy

Banking crisis

UK commits to the world’s first legally binding climate change target

Major investors co-found GRESB

JLL joins the CDP (formerly Carbon Disclosure Project)

Swine flu pandemic claims over 14,000 lives

UK launches renewable energy strategy

World leaders agree Copenhagen accord

First low carbon property fund in the UK

Renewable energy gets a boost with new feed-in tariff

UK government launches mandatory carbon reduction commitment energy efficiency scheme

BP Gulf of mexico oil spill

JLL's first annual global csr report

New sector guidelines and awards encourage companies to report their sustainability data

JLL and Greenprint Foundation track carbon performance

JLL named market leader in sustainable real estate advice

JLL helps cities tackle climate change

Western black rhinoceros declared extinct

UK government overhauls National Planning Policy

JLL launches new energy & infrastructure advisory team

JLL backs the changing the face of property initiative

JLL creates sustainability training programme

World population reaches 7 billion

JLL appoints first UK Head of Sustainability

Marks & Spencer commits to green leases

The Crown Estate embarks on total contribution

Grosvenor launch living cities

JLL and Better Buildings Partnership launch UK's largest real estate performance data base

JLL pledges to be the most sustainable property consultancy

Unibail-Rodamco issues landmark green bond

ESOS comes into force

First building standard to enhance people's health and well-being

The Edge receives highest BREEAM rating ever

British Land launch Places People Prefer

JLL publishes big eight for uk real estate

Volkswagen emissions scandal - emissionsgate

Jon Snow opens green roof in London’s wild West End

Global climate talks in Paris

Mediterranean experiences worst drought in 900 years

Berkeley group plans to become the first carbon positive housebuilder

Land Securities switches to 100% renewable

JLL joins Dow Jones Sustainability index

JLL first wins BIMA award
Celebrating 20 Years of Sustainability Advice
This year JLL celebrates 20 years of delivering market-leading sustainability expertise to the real estate industry. To mark this anniversary, we're launching Transforming Real Estate, a year-long programme of collaborative events, debates and celebrations. The programme will focus on core sustainability themes, believed to be the driving forces of change over the next two decades. With the help of many talented and dedicated people across the industry, we will offer views and insights to help the industry navigate to a more sustainable future.

Donald Trump inaugurated

JLL tops sector for workplace equality

Unlawful to let inefficient buildings

TH Real Estate assess every acquisition for sustainability risk

EU 20-20-20 targets

British Land targets embodied carbon

Aviva aims to scale up investments in clean energy

Land Securities aims for living wage by 2020

L&G Capital aims to lead UK regeneration funding

Share your ambition

Unlawful to let inefficient commercial buildings

Share your ambition

Hammerson commits to being net positive

Majid Al Futtaim aims to be Net Positive in carbon and water