Corporate Responsibility
Environmental Sustainability
Accelerating sustainability by decarbonizing our own operations and influencing the way buildings are built, sourced, managed, occupied and sold.
Our Commitment
CBRE has committed to Net Zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across our value chain by 2040. This includes corporate operations, buildings managed for clients, real estate development and other projects, and supply chain. Our near-term 2030 targets include reducing Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50% and reducing emissions from properties we manage for clients per square foot by 55% from a 2019 baseline. These targets have been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and are in line with the ambition to limit warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
In addition, CBRE Investment Management has a Net Zero commitment through the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative (NZAMI). CBRE Investment Management integrates sustainability into our investment and asset management practices, focusing on creating value, managing risk and maximizing long-term investment returns.
Our Impact
More than 97% of our total emissions are related to managing and developing properties and projects for our clients. This includes in-use emissions from managed properties and assets under management, procurement of goods and services on behalf of our clients, embodied carbon and capital goods used in real estate development and other projects, and fuel combustion from vehicles used to service properties. CBRE’s ability to achieve our net zero ambition is directly connected to our clients’ and suppliers’ investments in decarbonization.
About 3% of our emissions are associated with our corporate operations. This includes energy use in our leased offices, corporate procurement, waste, employee commute and business travel.
Our Progress
Since 2019, CBRE has reduced absolute GHG emissions across total Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions by 18%. Scope 1 and 2 emissions make up a small part of our total impact (0.4%) and have decreased 44% since 2019, putting us on track to achieve our near-term target ahead of 2030. Emissions from properties we manage for clients (Scope 3.11) have decreased 34% per square foot since 2019.
We have a clear understanding of the actions required to reach our near-term absolute reduction target. Scope 3 emissions (99.6%) remain our biggest challenge—and an even greater opportunity. While holding ourselves accountable across our corporate operations, we can apply the same insights and expertise to actions for our clients as they work to decarbonize their own real estate portfolios. We know that progress will not be linear and sustained progress will become increasingly complex.
Our Climate Transition Strategy
Read our Climate Transition Strategy
With more than 600 corporate offices (including Turner & Townsend) and nearly 8.5 billion square feet of managed property globally, CBRE has an opportunity to help reduce GHG emissions in the built environment.
Our Climate Transition Strategy provides a global approach, aligning our business with our climate commitments. We outline the pathways and key actions to transform our own operations while also serving as a catalyst to decarbonize the commercial real estate industry.
Related Resources
Read our Commitment to Sustainability, Environmental Sustainability Policy and Sustainability Operating Standards.
Our 2025 Corporate Responsibility Report highlights our progress scaling a low carbon future, creating a thriving workplace and leading with integrity to build trust.
CBRE is committed to transparency and earned an A- performance score on CDP’s global climate change disclosure in 2025. Read our latest CDP questionnaire.
We help organizations decarbonize, fast. As pioneers in real estate, we simplify complexity, turning your operations and assets into shining examples of environmental responsibility.
Our Leads
Marcella Thompson
COO of Global Energy & Sustainability and SVP of Corporate Sustainability & Reporting
