How decarbonisation software is shaping real estate: expert insights ahead of UKREiiF 2026
The UK’s Real Estate Infrastructure and Investment Forum (UKREiiF) is an annual event that brings together real estate, property and infrastructure professionals to discuss industry trends and challenges. We’ve attended for the last two years, and this year we’re delighted to announce that we’ll be exhibiting as well.
In advance of the event, which takes place on 19th-21st May, we spoke to the two BIP.Verco experts who’ll be there.
We asked them where they’ll be, the topics they're hoping to discuss, the key challenges they help clients face, and why they think decarbonisation software is so important for streamlining decarbonisation in real estate. We’re also pleased to share details about our upcoming webinar on this topic, in June.
Firstly, please introduce yourselves. What do you do at BIP.Verco and what are you looking forward to the most about UKREiiF 2026?
Ben: I’m Ben Ross. I’m the Head of Sector for Construction and Real Estate at BIP.Verco, and over the last 20 years my job has involved providing strategic advice and operational change through consultancy, commercial and operational roles across the public, private and third sectors.
I’m excited for UKREiiF this year as these large, multi-day events create space and opportunity for the some of the most honest and valuable conversations. We appreciate it when people share what’s proving difficult, not just what’s working. UKREiiF sparks this kind of discussion, which helps the sector collectively learn how to turn ambition into delivery. I’m looking forward to getting involved.
Dan: I’m Dan Barton. I’m the Commercial Manager for Software at BIP.Verco, and my work mostly revolves around our decarbonisation platform, MyVerco. This will be my first time at UKREiiF, so I’m looking forward to hearing from organisations about where they’re thriving and where they’re getting stuck. In a fast-moving, ever-changing market, the chance to hear multiple stakeholders’ insights helps us think about how we can address the biggest barriers and adapt our services to help our clients.
I’m also keen to share what we as a business are seeing across portfolios, particularly around how technology can help teams move faster, make better decisions, and manage the complexities of carbon reduction.
How can attendees find BIP.Verco at UKREiiF?
Dan: You’ll be able to find us at the BIP.Verco stand (M3), in the RAH – Hall of Steel. We’ll be there for the whole event, running informal demos of MyVerco and chatting through real-world challenges.
Anyone keen to have a more in-depth discussion can also book time with us in advance. We recommend setting up a meeting early, as diaries tend to fill up quickly during the event. You can do so here:
BIP.Verco has been working with real estate organisations on their decarbonisation journeys for over 35 years. From your experience, what should the real estate sector be discussing right now in terms of carbon reduction?
The movement from planning to pragmatic implementation
Ben: Research we conducted for our annual real estate report showed us that over the last couple of years, there has been a rapid shift from planning to insight and, increasingly, towards delivery. The next phase of this will be pragmatic implementation. Leading organisations are no longer asking whether they should decarbonise, but rather what the practical opportunities and challenges are on an asset-by-asset basis. So, the key discussions will be:
- What do transition plans look like across multiple assets and complex portfolios?
- What energy and carbon plans are in place, how far will they take us, and will they achieve our ambitions?
- How do we decarbonise in a way that stands up to increasing scrutiny from occupiers, investors and other key stakeholders?
The benefits of using technology to streamline processes
Dan: This is where technology plays a critical role. Organisations can build detailed implementation plans by linking data, assumptions and decisions together in one place, and that place can be a software platform. Decarbonisation software enables teams to prioritise actions based on evidence rather than instinct, understand tradeoffs more clearly, and move from target setting and broad ambition into consistent, repeatable and measurable delivery. I think the role of technology should be high on the list of important and timely discussions for this sector.
What’s changed in how real estate organisations approach sustainability conversations internally?
Ben: Internal discussions about sustainability have become much more cross‑functional in recent years. Sustainability can’t sit on its own anymore; it’s inherently linked to asset value, risk, operations and investment planning. The most successful organisations are those finding ways to bring these perspectives together, rather than treating sustainability as a separate reporting exercise.
In 2026, what challenges do real estate organisations face when it comes to reducing energy and carbon emissions?
Lack of time for organising data and co-ordinating action
Ben: I suppose the first challenge is time. We’re tackling relatively new requirements and looking to do this at scale and pace, which demands a new, systematic approach. By its very nature, this takes time to develop and embed into co-ordinated action. The challenge isn’t just technical; it’s organisational as well. Sustainability data sits in silos, decisions involve multiple teams, and without a shared view of performance and priorities, progress quickly slows.
Difficulty processing data using manual methods
Ben: The second challenge, I’d say, would be data processing. Spreadsheets are flexible and familiar, so they’re a natural starting point. But as data sets grow and questions become more complex, they become a fragile format. Version control, hidden assumptions, and manual updates introduce risk. The biggest frustration is often the amount of manual effort required to clean data, reconcile spreadsheets, and answer one‑off questions from different stakeholders. This leaves less time to fix issues, deliver projects, and plan ahead, which are the areas that generate real value.
Lack of data confidence
Dan: What Ben has covered leads to a lack of data confidence. Businesses rarely lack sustainability data, but the data they do have often comes from multiple systems, varies in quality, and isn’t always clearly owned. Due to the nature of real estate data, being comfortable with some ambiguity is essential for any progress to be made at a strategic or portfolio level, but the aim is to make sure the figures point to what needs to be done, and when.
When teams aren’t confident in their data, they naturally become cautious about using it to support major decisions. And that affects the approval process. Boards don’t just want ambition; they want to trust that your plan will deliver. If numbers change from one report to the next, or assumptions aren’t clear, it undermines credibility. Having consistent, traceable data makes a huge difference to how quickly decarbonisation decisions get approved.
Difficulty making data-backed, financially compelling business cases
Ben: A lot of progress stalls at the decision stage. Many teams can see what could be done but struggle to compare the options, articulate the benefits, understand knock‑on impacts, or justify investment. Without clarity on costs, energy and carbon performance, tenant and commercial benefits and quantified risk mitigation, even well‑intentioned plans remain static. The organisations making real progress are those that can move seamlessly between portfolio views and individual assets, understanding how local decisions contribute to wider goals without losing sight of constraints on the ground.
In which ways can AI and technology address these challenges and streamline processes for real estate organisations?
Dan: Technology is helping shift sustainability from a reporting function to a strategic decision making capability.
Automated systems take the pressure off busy teams
Dan: AI and advanced analytics make it possible to gather, qualify and process far more data, far more quickly than if you were to attempt it manually.
Specialist decarbonisation software can pull sustainability data from multiple systems. It can rebuild models each time a new question arises, allowing teams to work from a consistent set of assumptions and live information.
Scenario forecasting points to the wisest decisions
Dan: Scenario forecasting is on the rise, allowing users to explore the impact of decisions, and compare them, before they’re even made. This vastly reduces risk and uncertainty.
In practice, this means less time spent compiling information and more time spent comparing options. We’re seeing increasing numbers of real estate teams using technology to test scenarios, anticipate risk, and integrate into investment decisions, rather than sidelining these potentially material risks or simply recording outcomes after the fact.
Platforms evolve as expectations do
Dan: These tools are on the market and constantly evolving. Our net zero platform MyVerco, for example, enables different disciplines (sustainability, estates, finance and asset management) to work from the same view of a portfolio. This streamlines reporting, reduces duplication, and makes it much easier to respond quickly to questions from stakeholders.
Ben: Decarbonisation plans need to be active, not static. Assets change, projects evolve, and external factors like grid decarbonisation, commercial markets and regulation can move quickly. The keys to keeping carbon reduction plans relevant are:
- being able to continuously update assumptions; and
- being able to forecast how today’s decisions will affect the organisation’s long‑term outcomes without restarting the process each year.
This is exactly what decarbonisation software helps you achieve. It shifts the focus from what happened to what to do next, and supports timely and confident decisions, backing them up with real-time data.
What are the risks for real estate companies who hesitate to invest in carbon reduction software?
Ben: The biggest risk is loss of momentum. Without the right tools, even well-resourced teams can become bogged down in manual work, inconsistent data, and slow approvals. Over time, that can lead to missed opportunities, delayed investment decisions, and a growing gap between ambition and action.
There’s also a significant governance risk. As expectations from regulators, investors and lenders evolve, organisations need to be able to evidence how decisions were made. Relying on fragmented processes makes that increasingly difficult.
In a growing market, how do real estate companies choose which decarbonisation software to use?
Dan: The most important question is whether the software supports real world decision making, not just reporting. Organisations should look for tools that are flexible enough to adapt to the complexity of real portfolios but structured enough to provide consistency and confidence.
That’s why we’re excited to demo MyVerco at UKREiiF. MyVerco was built by our team of specialists, based on in-depth knowledge of how real estate operators and investors make decisions. It brings together performance data, project timing, cost, and carbon impact in a way that supports prioritisation and scenario testing, rather than forcing teams into generic workflows.
If you’ll be at UKREiiF, track down stand M3 to find out exactly how it works.
Or if you’re not attending, or would like to know sooner, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Join our webinar on how digital and AI‑enabled insight can support decarbonisation planning
Funding, executing, and de-risking real estate decarbonisation with digital/AI and green finance
Date: Tuesday 2nd June
Time: 14:00 BST
For large property operators and investors, real estate decarbonisation has become a strategic question of funding, execution, and risk management. This webinar will explore how digital and AI‑enabled insight can support more disciplined, portfolio-wide decarbonisation planning, helping organisations move from ambition to decision-ready action.
We will discuss how to:
- link bottom‑up asset analysis with portfolio‑level strategy;
- support more confident capital planning; and
- develop robust business cases that reflect feasibility, cost, and the realities of delivering change at scale over time.