Property consultancy Bidwells has appointed Helen Newman as its new group head of sustainability.
Newman’s previous roles include head of sustainable capital and head of sustainability and investor ESG at global real estate advisory firm CBRE.
Newman will focus on providing sustainability-related consultancy services, to serve the dual goal of future-proofing investments and delivering positive outcomes for communities and the environment.
As an executive director at CBRE, Newman was most recently head of sustainable capital, advising on ESG throughout the investment lifecycle. In this role, she led on the development of Barclays Bank’s first sustainable residential development framework establishing performance requirements for financing and driving future-proof, residential projects.
Prior to that, Newman was head of sustainability and investor ESG for CBRE’s advisory business, where she delivered and reported on ESG strategies across a portfolio worth over £25 bn (€30 bn).
Newman has previously worked as a consultant for British Land, The Crown Estate, and Grosvenor, spearheading green initiatives across the UK.
She is vice chair of the CIBSE Sustainability Special Interest and a member of CIBSE Knowledge Panel, the NLA expert panel for retrofit and conservation, the BE News ESG advisory board, and the ULI UK Sustainability Product Council.
She is also an advocate of best sustainable design practice in her role as member of the Enfield Place and Design Quality Panel.
Newman left CBRE in the summer of 2023 to join Fabrix as their director of sustainable investing. Fabrix is a progressive property development and delivery partner and she continues to work closely with Fabrix as their strategic sustainability advisor.
Said Newman: 'We are at a point where global warming is expected to exceed the 1.5C target and we have overstepped 6 of the 9 planetary boundaries, and clients increasingly understand the imperative for commercial performance to be delivered alongside positive environmental and social outcomes.
'At this critical time, I am delighted to join Bidwells’ with the opportunity scale our integrated solutions across real assets including portfolio decarbonisation and sustainable development, energy and renewables infrastructure, optimising place-based social impact, urban regreening and practical BNG delivery, and landscape-scale habitat and nature restoration from peatlands to woodlands.'
Nick Pettit, senior partner at Bidwells, said: 'Helen is an industry leader in sustainability and will be a massive asset for the firm as we build out our offering across all our service lines. She wields vast experience, having advised some of the biggest names and firms in the industry to improve their environmental and social performance.
'As Group Head, Helen will lead on our client-facing sustainability offering, as we build out a market-leading offering to support our 2030 growth plan.'
