Derwent London sustainability score: 53/100
Better than 87% of Construction / Real Estate
Leading practice starts at 60. The highest score on SINK is 71.
Derwent London is a London-based real-estate development and landlord company managing a portfolio of office and mixed-use properties across central London. With ~193 employees and £406.3M revenue (FY2025), it specializes in high-spec office refurbishment and new-build projects targeting Grade A occupiers in prime London markets.
Founded 1984Head office London, United KingdomStaff ~193Revenue £406.3M (FY2025, gross property and other income)Website ↗
Derwent London reports comprehensive operational emissions data with PwC assurance, but embodied carbon from its demolition-led development model rose 43% in 2025, offsetting operational gains. Supply-chain mapping is incomplete, net-zero relies on offsets, and water targets are absent. The company's circular economy strategy and BNG delivery are genuine, but the business model itself drives embodied carbon escalation.
Derwent London scores 53/100 (Making progress) on SINK's independent climate assessment, scored from public data only. Scores are free. Nobody can pay to change a score, speed it up or hide it. Last verified October 2026.
That places Derwent London joint 86th of 1,023 companies scored, and joint 5th of 40 in Construction / Real Estate.
What is Derwent London doing well, and where does it fall short?
Strongest on Carbon Footprint: Operations and Transparency & Accountability (9/10, 8/10). Weakest on Emissions Trajectory and Water Impact (4/10, 4/10).
Where Derwent London lost points
For each question that lost points, the evidence our public rubric looks for that we didn't find.
What would raise this score
- Whether its emissions are fallingShow a year-on-year fall in its total emissions.
- Its effect on waterMeasure its water footprint and set reduction targets.
- Its effect on natureMeasure its effect on nature and have it independently verified.
Every question that lost points
- Emissions from its own operations9/10No verified figures published with their method and a falling trend.
- Emissions from its supply chain6/10No full value-chain map or supplier engagement programme.
- Whether its emissions are falling4/10No evidence of a year-on-year fall in its total emissions.
- How clean its energy is6/10Less than 90% of its energy shown to be renewable.
- Its effect on nature5/10Its effect on nature isn't measured or independently verified.
- How it uses materials and handles waste5/10No measurable waste or recycling targets reported publicly.
- Its effect on water4/10No measured water footprint with reduction targets.
- Its climate targets7/10No validated long-term net zero target.
- How openly it reports8/10No mission-locked structure, such as B Corp certification.
- Its record on controversies7/10Points deducted for controversies or its business model. The finding is under question 10.
A score changes when the evidence does. We use new published evidence at the next rescore. Anyone can send us new evidence, free. How to send it.
How is Derwent London's SINK score calculated?
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × ScaleWhat evidence is Derwent London's score based on?
15 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
27% of them were published by Derwent London itself; the rest come from independent sources.
11 of 15 sources are independent of the company.
“Total Scope 1 emissions Location 2,126(a) 2,736 (22)”
“The decision was taken not to pursue further upstream supply chain”
“Operational carbon footprint (2024: 12,357 tCO,e)”
“More than half of our emissions as a business come from Scope 3 emissions”
“Caledonian Solar Farm is not yet operational, but it has the potential to become the biggest in Scotland”
“Joined the RE100 committed to 100% renewable power”
“we have introduced nature and resilience as a core pillar to our Pathway”
“All our suppliers are expected to read, acknowledge”
“is planning to knock down yet another large building, adding to the pile of rubble it has already trucked out of Fitzrovia.”
“Our operational carbon footprint reduced 14% in the year to 12,357 tCO2e”
“Our SBTi targets are aligned to a challenging 1.5°C climate scenario in line with our net zero carbon ambition.”
“Others in this group include Canary Wharf Group, Derwent London, Great Portland Estates, Grosvenor, Landsec and British Land.”
“where there is carbon that cannot be totally eliminated, this will be offset using certified schemes.”
“At present this is a necessary part of our journey to net zero”
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How does Derwent London compare with other construction / real estate companies?
Where Derwent London sits among construction / real estate peers.
Among the 40 major construction / real estate brands we've scored, Derwent London is tied =5th of 40, with 1 other.
Who scores higher in Construction / Real Estate?
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above Derwent London.
Kier has cut operational emissions 81% since FY19 through HVO switching and electrification pledges, and holds SBTi-validated net-zero targets.
See the breakdown →Landsec has cut absolute emissions 24–33% since 2020 and holds SBTi-validated 2030 targets, but needs material acceleration to hit -47%.
See the breakdown →Willmott Dixon has cut operational emissions 63% since 2018 and hit 84% renewable electricity by 2025, backed by SBTi 1.5°C targets and Bureau Veritas assurance.
See the breakdown →Which companies moved this week, and why.
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