The Future We Build

Alex Edds
  • 5.0 (9)
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The Future We Build is a podcast about sustainability in real estate when it is shaped by innovation, investment, and real commercial decision making. Hosted by Alex Edds, a corporate sustainability innovator with over 20 years inside the industry, this podcast looks at sustainability through the lens of value creation, resilience, and human outcomes, not just carbon metrics. This is a show for people building, backing, and buying the next generation of solutions for the built environment, offering rare insight into how sustainability, innovation, and capital intersect in practice.

Episodes

  1. 2 DAYS AGO

    The one with... the ex-Heads of Sustainability. On burnout, role evolution, and going fractional

    In this candid episode of The Future We Build, Alex brings together two former heads of sustainability—Robbie Epsom (ex-CBRE Investment Management) and Emily Hamilton (ex-Savills Investment Management)—for what Alex calls "a therapy session." The three discuss why so many senior sustainability leaders have left their roles, what's changed in the market, and where they're channelling their energy next. This is an unusually honest conversation about burnout, the shift from strategic thinking to operational execution, and why the fractional model might be the future of sustainability leadership in real estate. Key Timestamps [00:01:17] - Why are we all ex-heads of sustainability? Setting the scene[00:02:08] - Robbie's journey to fractional advisory[00:05:34] - Emily's transition: losing strategic foresight in "control mode"[00:08:16] - Have we outgrown the role, or has the role outgrown us?[00:11:07] - Sustainability teams now need to justify ROI[00:15:01] - Emily on resilience: asking difficult questions vs. pleasing the client[00:17:14] - Did in-house roles lose the "challenger" voice?[00:18:38] - Infrastructure booming while real estate churns[00:20:00] - Green hushing: "keep our heads down"[00:21:11] - Emily: we've lost the sense of innovation [00:22:07] - Was net zero set with genuine understanding—or peer pressure?[00:27:09] - Emily: nature is now a strategic national security risk (Defra)[00:31:14] - The future of energy as a service[00:32:08] - Emily on ROI: we're not accounting for wider structural benefits[00:33:40] - Parting wisdom for those still in post[00:38:12] - Protecting your energy and mental health[00:40:06] - The emerging network: fractional work as a new collaborative model[00:42:10] - Final question: one thing you'd want from government, business, or individuals[00:46:50] - The AI/data centre nexus exposing supply chain fragility What You'll Learn The shift from strategic, creative roles to operational, task-oriented executionInfrastructure funds thriving while real estate sustainability roles contractThe rise of fractional CSOVUCA world (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) requiring both create and controlHave senior leaders outgrown the role, or has the role outgrown them?Can't separate climate adaptation, biodiversity, and net zero—need integrated approachWater, land, supply chains: nature's fundamental impact on real estateCurrent ROI calculations only account for single-asset benefits, missing wider structural benefits: grid contribution, area regeneration, systemic valueMental Health and Burnout of CSOsAdvice for CSOs and sustainability teamsThe AI race and the natural resources it depends uponKey Resources DEFRA National Security Assessment on EcosystemsThe Future We Build is a podcast exploring sustainability, innovation and systemic change in the built environment, hosted by Alex Edds. New episodes released weekly. Filmed at Mute showroom Follow the show ⁠LinkedIn: The Future We BuildConnect with Alex Email: alex@thefuturewebuildpodcast.comConnect on ⁠LinkedInMore about our guests Connect with Robbie Epsom on LinkedInConnect with Emily Hamilton on LinkedIn Thanks to Jason and Sophia for guiding me through this journey.

    49 min

  2. 25 FEB

    The one with... the godmothers of green buildings. Now is the time for creativity, collaboration and leadership.

    In this special episode, Alex returns to his roots with two remarkable leaders who shaped the beginning of his sustainability journey. Julie Hirigoyen (former CEO of UK GBC, now advisor to investors and property companies) and Sarah Ratcliffe (CEO of Better Buildings Partnership) were co-directors of Upstream, the consultancy Alex joined back in 2006. Together, they reflect on 20 years of progress in real estate sustainability—from the creative, pioneering early days to today's systematized approaches. The conversation explores the tension between compliance and creativity, why we're still only measuring half the carbon picture, and the critical need for place-based collaboration. Julie and Sarah share their perspectives on what's needed from industry leadership, the power of grassroots action, and why reconnecting with our dependency on nature might be the mindset shift we need most. Key timestamps [00:01:42] -Where It All Started[00:02:35] - The Creativity Paradox - did sustainability become less creative as it became more mainstream? [00:04:26] - The last 20 years: Awareness to Embedding[00:09:00] - The Decarbonization Machine and the missing 50%[00:12:51] - Will single asset owners struggle to be resilient[00:20:20] - The Role of Industry Bodies[00:21:46] - Radical Collaboration[00:27:18] - The Politicization Problem[00:29:21] - The Role of Government Certainty[00:29:35] - Where We Are Now: Progress or Backward?[00:34:10] - Where Do We Go From Here?[00:35:25] - Getting Leadership Back on Board[00:38:10] - Collective Leadership[00:40:00] - Grassroots Hope[00:42:06] - If You Could Change One Thing Organizations mentioned: UK Green Building Council (UK GBC)Better Buildings PartnershipGreen Property AllianceUpstream (now part of JLL)What you'll learn about Operational vs. embodied carbonWhole life carbon assessmentPlace-based collaborationAdaptation and resilienceCommunity Interest Companies (CICs)Planetary boundariesThe Future We Build is a podcast exploring sustainability, innovation and systemic change in the built environment, hosted by Alex Edds. New episodes released weekly. Filmed at ⁠Mute ⁠showroom Follow the show ⁠LinkedIn: ⁠The Future We Build⁠Connect with Alex Email: alex@thefuturewebuildpodcast.comConnect on ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠More about our guests Connect with ⁠Julie HirigoyenConnect with Sarah RatcliffeThanks to ⁠Jason ⁠and Sophia ⁠for guiding me through this journey.

    47 min
  3. The one with.. the $4tn climate coalition transforming real estate

    20 FEB

    The one with.. the $4tn climate coalition transforming real estate

    In this inaugural episode of The Future We Build, Alex sits down with ⁠Vincent Van Bijleveld ⁠from ⁠GREEN ⁠(Global Real Estate Engagement Network) to explore how institutional capital is—or isn't—driving decarbonization in real estate. Vincent offers a rare investor perspective on the tensions between financial returns and climate goals, the limitations of current rating systems, and why real estate might be easier to transform than we think. Key Timestamps [00:03:01] - Why GREEN was founded: where does real estate capital actually come from? [00:05:09] - Is real estate moving fast enough on climate? Comparing to other sectors [00:09:13] - The brown discount dilemma: selling problematic assets doesn't solve the planet's problem [00:14:19] - Decarbonization as the dominant focus (and what else matters) [00:16:13] - Physical climate risk rising up the agenda [00:18:23] - Would investors accept short-term performance drag for long-term resilience? [00:23:03] - GRESB under the microscope: praise, criticism, and what needs to change [00:27:59] - Can regulation move markets? EPBD vs. SFDR [00:32:01] - What investors expect from fund managers in 2026-2027 [00:34:17] - Impact investing in real estate: what does it actually mean? [00:37:05] - What would Vincent like to see change from real estate investors? [00:39:23] - What one thing would Vincent want from government, business, or individuals to make the change we need? [00:40:42] - The long view: disappointed by one-year changes, encouraged by 20-year progress What you'll learn The Investor Lens on Real Estate Transformation Why real estate is "relatively easy" to transform compared to oil & gas or cementThe challenge of fragmentation: thousands of managers vs. concentrated sectorsHow real estate lags behind wind, solar, and automotive in transition speedThe Brown Discount Dilemma Institutional capital's flight from "brown" assets—and where those buildings end upWhy bigger green premiums and brown discounts are essential for market transformationThe moral tension: selling problematic assets doesn't solve the planet's problemRating Systems Under Scrutiny GRESB's critical role in driving industry focus—and its fundamental limitationsWhy five-star ratings don't indicate climate performanceThe "beast has grown": how sustainability metrics became overwhelming and unfocusedWhat needs to change to differentiate true leaders from laggardsRegulation as Market Maker Why Europe's Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) may be more effective than SFDRThe difference between top-down capital allocation and bottom-up building standardsThe Reality Check on Impact Investing The gap between board-level sustainability commitments and fund manager incentivesWhy most investors won't prioritize impact if returns divergeDutch pension funds as outliers: participants willing to accept modest return trade-offUniversal ownership theory: climate action as financial risk managementWhat Investors Actually Want Physical climate risk rising rapidly up the agendaTransition risk differences between US and EuropeSingle vs. double materiality: European willingness to invest beyond immediate ROIThe importance of dedicated real estate expertise at pension fund board levelKey resources GREEN GRESB SFDR EPBD The Future We Build is a podcast exploring sustainability, innovation and systemic change in the built environment, hosted by Alex Edds. New episodes released weekly Filmed at Mute Showroom Follow the show on LinkedIn Connect with Alex Email me alex@thefuturewebuildpodcast.com Connect on LinkedIn More about our guest Connect with Vincent on LinkedIn Thanks to ⁠Jason ⁠and Sophia for guiding me through this journey.

    43 min

  4. SEASON 1 TRAILER

    The Future We Build Season 1 Trailer

    The built environment accounts for 30-40% of global CO2 emissions. The way we construct, finance, and manage the built environment will determine whether we meet our climate goals—or fall catastrophically short. Beyond that, the construction and maintenance of buildings uses vast amounts of resources, the majority of which are extracted, used and disposed in the typical linear model. And then there is us. We spend 90% of our time indoors. As Winston Churchill once said "we shape our buildings, thereafter they shape us." We need to make buildings and spaces better for us - our health and wellbeing. Welcome to The Future We Build—a podcast for the people creating fundamental change in how we build, invest in, and inhabit our world. This isn't about incremental improvements or polished corporate messaging. These are the hallway conversations that happen after industry conferences end—candid insights from sustainability leaders, PropTech innovators, and real estate futurists who are fundamentally rethinking our approach to the built environment. Season 1 brings you inside conversations with: 🏢 Sustainability heads and former heads from major investment managers including Nuveen, CBRE IM, and Savills IM 🔄 Former sustainability executives now free to speak candidly about what's actually working—and what isn't 🏗️ Leaders pioneering new construction methods, materials, and procurement approaches 🤖 Visionaries exploring AI's role in transforming real estate 🏗️ Industry bodies such as GREEN, Better Buildings Partnership, UK Green Building Council and UK PropTech Association 🌱 Innovators, Venture Capitalists and emerging PropTech companies Hosted by Alex Edds a sustainability and innovation professional with 20 years across real estate investment management, consulting, corporate innovation, and PropTech. In a world where sustainability performance is now table stakes for raising institutional capital, we explore the practical tensions between financial returns and climate goals, the regulatory complexity reshaping the industry, and the emerging technologies that promise to help us build differently. New episodes available weekly. Subscribe to join the conversation about the future we're building—together. 🎙️ The Future We Build Building a sustainable future, one conversation at a time. Follow us: YouTubeLinkedIn#SustainableRealEstate #GreenBuilding #PropTech #ClimateAction #RealEstate #Sustainability #innovation #NetZero #BuiltEnvironment

    6 min

Trailer

5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

The Future We Build is a podcast about sustainability in real estate when it is shaped by innovation, investment, and real commercial decision making. Hosted by Alex Edds, a corporate sustainability innovator with over 20 years inside the industry, this podcast looks at sustainability through the lens of value creation, resilience, and human outcomes, not just carbon metrics. This is a show for people building, backing, and buying the next generation of solutions for the built environment, offering rare insight into how sustainability, innovation, and capital intersect in practice.

Information

  • Creator
    Alex Edds
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    4
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Alex Edds
  • Show Website
    The Future We Build

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