Ronald J Becker, SVP Operations and Sustainability at Brandywine Realty Trust
Get to know Ronald J Becker, SVP Operations and Sustainability at Brandywine Realty Trust.
Ron has over 30 years of experience in the real estate management space and has been an early adopter of the sustainability and ESG movement. We got to chat with Ron and learn about the evolution of his career in real estate and how he started working on sustainability initiatives. Ron shares what excites him about developments in sustainability and also gives his advice for companies who are looking to start their own sustainability initiatives.
How did you first get involved with sustainability?
Although the idea of sustainability and ESG were really coming to light in the early 2000’s, and while I had at that time spent 20+ years in the RE management field, it was not until I joined Federal Realty Investment Trust where I was tapped to oversee their sustainability division, that I really got involved in all aspects of ESG. From that standpoint, I was able to find solutions that addressed business case scenarios while also having altruistic benefits to society. I found it extremely meaningful and exciting to be able to work on projects that tackled the challenge of finding a balance between strengthening portfolios while simultaneously improving the planet. I truly believe that the more sustainable a company, the better positioned they will be in the long run.
What excites you about sustainability?
Everything about sustainability excites me. In its most basic form it allows real estate management companies to boost NOI while simultaneously using best technology (i.e. LED lighting) at a reduced cost to previous methods. I am also excited about all the innovations underway to create sustainable solutions, specifically with concrete and wood. We know that concrete is a major culprit for carbon emissions, specifically from the cement that is used to create it. I am excited to see the new ways concrete is being produced to reduce its carbon footprint. There has also been some major progress when it comes to wood reclamation and reuse in the built environment.
What do most people misunderstand about sustainability?
Sustainability is not that simple and much more complex than people may think. Some people may not understand the requirements necessary to develop and execute a meaningful sustainability program that will make an impact. Unfortunately, most people think that their efforts are for naught if other industry firms aren’t participating as well. We all need to be stewards of ESG driving the bus in the right direction. It is up to us to do as much as we can, not to serve as a data point in a business plan, but because it’s the right thing to do.
What is the biggest change that needs to be made as a society?
Climate change does not discriminate. I think we need to realize that we are all part of a greater collective, and regardless of the color of your skin, religious background, etc, we all need to come together and move in the same direction so that the world can survive, and we can survive as a society.
What do you think companies should be doing at a minimum to address their sustainability efforts?
There are a lot of commercial real estate firms that are starting to think about sustainability, which is excellent.
On a very basic level, companies should first start to get an understanding of how power is being used and consumed, how water is being used and consumed, and start understanding that data. You can’t prove what you can’t measure, so it is paramount to get as much data as possible to accurately assess where you fall on the spectrum of being a very sustainable company to being a not-so-sustainable company. Once you have that baseline understanding, it will provide an accurate blueprint of what you need to do to start building a plan.
We are also seeing that sustainability is becoming increasingly important to tenants looking for office or retail space. At Brandywine specifically, we were able to achieve LEED and other meaningful certifications for our buildings by partnering with our tenants who shared our sustainability values. They wanted to not only be a part of what we were doing but to have the opportunity to get certification at the demised premises level for their space as well. So more directly to the question at hand, have a plan and engage your tenants and your employees so that everyone is a part of the solution. Then figure our what makes the most sense for your business in particular and from there, find those programs and initiatives that will help drive value, drive consumption reductions and most importantly; drive change.
Are there any companies or people that you admire in the sustainability space?
I don’t think it would be fair to have that conversation without recognizing the ground-breaking work done by Sara Neff at Kilroy or Will Teichman at Kimco. So, the firms that make my list of those to watch and happily since I am a part of the NAREIT RESC committee, to engage with would be Kilroy, Kimco, Boston Properties, Brixmor and a few others. I think that Brandywine holds a strong position on that list as well, given our tremendous focus on both environmentally sustainable buildings coupled with our industry leading social and DEI efforts which are at the core of our company’s DNA.
Ultimately, it is all of us in this area of the industry that are essentially working together to drive change both organizational and in the CRE market, so we can learn from our peers and share best practices that everyone can utilize.