Legal & General raids UKGBC for new sustainability head

Legal & General Capital has appointed John Alker as head of sustainability. Alker, who takes up the position on 9 August, joins from the UK Green Building Council, where he has worked since its launch in 2007 and holds the position of director of policy and places. Prior to joining UKGBC, Alker worked on sustainable homes and carbon trading for the environmental charity WWF-UK. At L&G Capital he will act as the strategic sustainability lead, challenging the business to continue to set ambitious sustainability commitments, and bringing his expertise to drive its delivery. Beyond environmental sustainability, his remit will also include the measurement and articulation of the social impact the firm delivers across its broader strategy. Kerrigan Procter, chief executive of Legal & General Capital, said: “ His experience in working collaboratively across the construction and real estate industry to drive real improvement in environmental outcomes is exactly in line with our continued drive to deliver the societal benefits of quality, affordable housing for all and regenerated towns and cities. “John’s expertise makes him well-placed to maximise the advantages within our housing and urban regeneration businesses in order to deliver on our ambitions for improved social and environmental outcomes. “John will play a crucial role in ensuring that our sustainability commitments are delivered, as well looking at further ways that our platform can help to transform climate change. We have a real opportunity to use LGC’s diverse sources of capital to build back better and seek out new transformative sustainable investments.” Alker aded: “I feel privileged to have been able to work with hundreds of progressive businesses from across the real estate and construction sector over many years at UKGBC. One that has always stood out as particularly influential, innovative and purpose-driven is Legal & General. “I am delighted to be joining the great team at LGC, to support the sustainability ambitions of the business in this critical decade of action. We face a series of related challenges from global to local, both environmental and societal. The places where we live and work and the communities we create are at the heart of this challenge. That is why the scale and scope of LGC’s diverse interests in our built environment provide such an exciting opportunity – to deliver positive impact and create value in the round.” Last year Legal & General pledged that it would make all of its new housing stock operational net zero carbon enabled by 2030, implemented in a phased approach across all homes invested in or built by the group including Build to Rent, Build to Sell, later living, modular and affordable housing. To send feedback, e-mail samantha.mcclary@egi.co.uk or tweet @samanthamcclary or @estatesgazette