We believe that these ratings are indicative of the inherent quality of an asset, and we work closely with our customers and external suppliers/ contractors to ensure we design, refurbish and develop sustainable buildings. Through the introduction of The Energy Act 2011, the UK Government has the power to legislate that by 2018, at the latest, all commercial buildings seeking a lease or a sale must have an EPC rating of at least an 'E'. In response to this, we are working hard to assess our  portfolio and plan the required action so that we can manage our refurbishment, development, investment and divestment strategies with this legislation in mind.

Through the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, other European Union countries are currently considering introducing minimum EPC standards, and we are monitoring the progress of these discussions through our local property teams.

We are committed to increasing our renewable energy capacity in order to reduce our own CO2 output, and also to support our customers with their own environmental targets.

As a European income focused REIT, we need to tailor a specific approach to this area for each country, given the different planning and regulatory demands we experience across our portfolio.