CBRE
CEF Lead Executives
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ROB BERNARD
Chief Sustainability Officer
Rob leads teams across the company to help CBRE clients decarbonize the built environment, meet increasing regulatory requirements, and drive strong economic returns through the lens of sustainability. He also oversees CBRE’s own operational sustainability work, which includes a goal to achieve net zero emissions by 2040. Prior to joining CBRE, Rob founded and served as Managing Director of a circular economy private equity firm focused on investments that convert highly polluting waste streams into profitable products. During his two-decade tenure at Microsoft, including being the company’s first Chief Environmental Strategist, he established a global strategic framework to transform company-wide approaches to carbon, climate, energy, water and waste. He was also head of the company’s strategic business partnerships and worked on developing and delivering innovative software solutions, including helping establish the Carbon Disclosure Project’s carbon reporting platform. Rob sits on the Board of Directors for Altus Power and on the board of Ecore International. He has also served as an advisor and consultant to National Geographic, Allbirds and Watsco, Inc.
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MARCELLA THOMPSON
SVP Corporate Sustainability
Marcella is the global head for Corporate Sustainability & Reporting at CBRE. She is responsible for GHG emissions accounting, voluntary and regulatory sustainability reporting and delivering on CBRE’s sustainability commitments. Marcella led development of CBRE’s Climate Transition Strategy, providing an actionable roadmap to reduce emissions across operations and service offerings. In partnership with Corporate Finance, Marcella co-leads global efforts to elevate sustainability data to support financial-grade reporting. She oversees development of our annual Corporate Responsibility Report and has positioned CBRE for compliance with rapidly evolving climate- and sustainability regulatory reporting requirements.
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STEPHANIE GREENE
Global Head of Sustainability Advisory
Stephanie is responsible for delivering sustainability services and solutions for occupier and investor clients across CBRE’s global business. Stephanie engages directly with clients to understand their needs, diagnose challenges and provide solutions. She advises on strategies related to real estate portfolio decarbonization, net-zero roadmaps, benchmarking, green leasing, building ratings and certifications, electrification, on-site renewables, electric vehicles, reporting requirements, and governance deployment. She partners across functions to drive innovative strategies, working to address clients’ evolving needs by leveraging the breadth of CBRE’s service offerings. Before CBRE, Stephanie led a global team at the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI). She pioneered market- based solutions that enabled the adoption of electric, zero-carbon, grid-interactive buildings. Before RMI, Stephanie served as the Director of Clean Transportation Strategy & Policy at PG&E Company. Stephanie has a B.S. and M.S. in Earth Systems from Stanford University and an M.B.A. from UC Berkeley Haas School of Business.
Latest Sustainability Report
2024 Corporate Responsibility Report
(June 2025)
Highlights
- Reduced absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions 31% and GHG intensity by total revenue by 46% since 2019.
- Validated goal to achieve Net Zero GHG emissions by 2040 across entire value chain as well as 2030 targets with SBTi.
- Purchased renewable energy to cover about 57% of electricity use in 2024, more than double the amount purchased in 2023.
- Expanded its Green Financing program, with over $3 billion in green bonds, private placements and credit facilities.
- Has certified 66% of total occupied office space (by square footage) for sustainability or health (for offices over 10,000 square feet).
- Spent $3.3 billion with small businesses and diverse suppliers, representing 10.5% of total global spend.
- Increased the number of suppliers screened against ESG procurement criteria to 50,279 in 2024, up 22% over 2023.
- Employees volunteered nearly 77,000 hours in their communities, up 23% over 2023.
Recent News
2025
The Beyond The Guide Deepdive: Pharma & Life Sciences Supply Chain (Sustainable Procurement Pledge (SPP)) —
Provides 53 case studies exploring the integration of sustainability into procurement and supply chain strategies.
The case studies, each summarized on one page,
offer actionable insights into Scope 3 decarbonization, human rights, supplier engagement, leadership buy-in, and other topics. The resource is aimed at starting team discussions, sharing lessons with suppliers and partners, identifying challenges that resonate, and exploring what others are doing and adapting this to one’s own context.
Included among the 53 are case studies from CEF Members BASF, CBRE, and Ecolab.
(May 2025)
2024
NEWSWEEK / STATISTA — Published its America’s Most Responsible Companies 2025 list, ranking 600 U.S. companies (out of the 2,000 largest publicly traded companies) on ESG performance. The analysis is based on 30 key performance indicators along with consumer reputation. Merck scored #1, with 97.83 points (out of 100). CEF members in the top 50 include: General Mills (#2), Applied Materials (#4), HP (#6), Mastercard (#7), Hewlett Packard Enterprise (#9), Ecolab (#12), Analog Devices (#13), Qualcomm (#29), Cisco Systems (#31), Visa (#33), CBRE (#35), Apple (#42), and General Motors (#50). (Dec 2024)
Released its new Climate Transition Strategy, which provides a roadmap to achieve net zero emissions across all parts of the company’s business by 2040. This includes 2030 targets of reducing Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50% and reducing emissions per square foot from managed properties by 55% (2019 baselines). The strategy outlines four pathways to achieve net zero: maximizing resource efficiency, increasing renewable energy, electrifying operations for building systems and vehicles, and decarbonizing the supply chain. (Dec 2024)
Asia Pacific Real Estate Chief Sustainability Officer Survey (CBRE and U.S. Green Building Council) — The role of Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) is growing in the Asia Pacific region, according to this survey of 67 Asia Pacific real estate leasing and investment companies. Highlights include (March 2024):
- 84% of respondents have established CSO positions, with about half of these created in the past three years.
- The net zero target date of asset owners is 20 years later than occupiers, with 53% of occupiers having net zero targets by 2030, and 51% of asset owners having net zero targets by 2050.
- 75% of asset owners adopted green finance, such as for capital-intensive construction or acquisition of green buildings.
- Asset owners plan to increase green buildings in their portfolios from 39% to 63% over the next three years.
Renovation Revolution — This initiative, launched by Climate Group and five corporate partners, including CEF Member CBRE, aims to accelerate the European building renovation rate to the EU’s annual 2030 target of 2.5% (from the current 1%). It will research how governments and businesses can overcome various financial and policy barriers to increase renovation rates and increase efficiency in commercial and public buildings. (Feb 2024)
2023
Members of the Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance sent a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reiterating the need for strong heavy-duty vehicle emission standards to meet national climate and economic goals as well as corporate sustainability goals. The letter, the Alliance’s second, also underscored that the growing number of companies committed to zero-emissions trucks demonstrates that these are both operationally and financially viable. The Alliance represents 33 U.S. companies that own, lease, or operate more than 2.5 million fleet vehicles, and includes CEF Members Amazon, CBRE, and Siemens. (Dec 2023)
Announced a strategic partnership with carbon accounting software provider Emitwise to collect greenhouse gas emissions data from its supply chain and provide carbon accounting capabilities to its suppliers. This will enable suppliers to calculate more accurate carbon impacts and learn where to focus efforts to accelerate decarbonization, while CBRE clients will gain access to more accurate emissions data and to high-impact decarbonization opportunities.
31 companies with significant commercial fleets sent a letter to U.S. governors in 9 states urging them to accelerate and support the shift to zero-emission vehicles by adopting the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) and Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II) rules in their respective states. Together, the two rules require increasing rates of sales for zero-emission light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles over the coming years. The companies, including CEF members Amazon, CBRE, and Siemens, are part of the Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance, and represent over $1.2 trillion in annual revenue and collectively own, lease, or operate more than 2.7 million fleet or networked vehicles in the U.S. (Aug 2023)
2022
The Ceres-led Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance (CEVA)—which includes CEF members Amazon, CBRE, and Siemens—and the NAFA Fleet Management Association (NAFA) have sent a letter to State leaders and the Federal Highway Administration with recommendations to guide the build-out of EV charging infrastructure, "particularly as states look to spend funds from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program…” The letter, includes recommendations that planners (July 2022):
- Site charging stations by analyzing commercial traffic/goods movement patterns and ensure that sufficient charging is placed near densely populated and/or urban areas.
- Separate commercial charging sites for light-duty and medium/heavy-duty vehicles, when possible, to reduce operational disruptions; Standardize charging technology and station design for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.
- Coordinate roaming agreements between networks and simplified, universal payment methods.
- Place charging stations for light-duty vehicles no more than 50 miles apart; Co-locate charging stations with other amenities like food and restrooms.
FIFTH WALL — Venture capital firm Fifth Wall has raised $500 million for a first-of-its-kind fund that brings large-scale real estate owners and operators together to invest in the decarbonization of their industry. Real estate, which is estimated to account for about 40% of total global GHG emissions, is “the single-biggest lever we can turn on to mitigate climate change," said Fifth Wall co-founder Brendan Wallace. CEF member CBRE is among the firms who made initial commitments to the new Climate Fund, which will invest in companies specializing in software, hardware, renewable energy, energy storage, smart buildings, and carbon sequestration technologies that can help the property industry cut emissions. (July 2022)
2021
The Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance (CEVA), a Ceres-led group of 28 companies and fleet operators representing over $1 trillion in annual revenue, sent a letter urging the US government to establish “open standards” for public EV charging infrastructure to accelerate widespread EV adoption. They say standards such as OCPP and OCPI are key to creating “an interoperable charging network” and “enabling EV drivers to freely utilize public charge points.” Signatories include CEF members Amazon, CBRE, and Siemens. (Nov 2021)
Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance (CEVA)
—
The
Ceres-led alliance of 27 companies and fleet operators representing over $1 trillion in annual revenue
sent a
letter urging US auto and truck manufacturers to expand their zero-emission vehicle offerings. They noted that
CEVA members plan to buy at least 377,750 US-based zero-emissions vehicles in the next 5 years, with
95%
saying they
would switch manufacturers to obtain the vehicle capacity and features they need. Signatories include CEF members
Amazon, CBRE, and
Siemens. (Oct 2021)
MORE »
86 NEW COMPANIES SIGN “THE CLIMATE PLEDGE” — Amazon announced that
over 86 companies worldwide joined
“The Climate Pledge,” thereby
committing to reach net-zero emissions by 2040.
New signatories include CEF members
CBRE, HP, and
Procter & Gamble.
The Pledge now has
200 signatories representing over $1.8 trillion in annual revenue, 21 countries, 26 industries, and over 7 million employees.
(Sept 2021)
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Over 80 companies—with combined annual revenue of $1.5 trillion, $341 billion in assets, and over 3 million U.S. employees—called on federal lawmakers to support ambitious climate policy action to address the climate crisis and advance environmental justice
as part of the Ceres-led “LEAD on Climate” advocacy day. CEF members participating included Amazon, CBRE, Dell Technologies, Dow, HP Inc., McDonald’s, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Samsung Electronics America, Siemens,
and Unilever. (May 2021)
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Earned an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Sustained Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the 14th consecutive year. Earlier in the year, the company was recognized as #22 on the Barron’s list of 100 Most Sustainable Companies in the U.S., the top-ranked real estate company on Fortune's Most Admired Company roster for the 3rd year in a row, and one of Ethisphere’s 2021 World’s Most Ethical Companies for the 8th year in a row. (April 2021)
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Members of the Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance (CEVA) and the BICEP Network sent letters (CEVA letter and the BICEP letter) calling for the Biden administration to adopt vehicle standards aligned with climate science and consistent with a pathway to 100% zero-emission vehicle sales by 2035. The two Ceres-led networks represent over 80 companies with combined annual revenue of $1.3 trillion and include Amazon, CBRE, Kaiser Permanente, McDonald’s, Microsoft, Siemens, Tiffany & Co., Unilever, and VF Corporation. (April 2021)
Ethisphere released its 2021 list of the World’s Most Ethical Companies. CEF members recognized include (March 2021):
- 3M
- ADM
- Aptiv
- CBRE
- Dell Technologies
- Ecolab
- General Motors
- HanesBrands
- Hewlett Packard Enterprise
- Honeywell
- HP
- International Paper
- Kaiser Permanente
- Kimberly-Clark
- Mastercard
- Microsoft
- PepsiCo
- VF Corporation
- Visa
- Waste Management
Ranked 22nd on Barron's 2021 Most Sustainable Companies list (February 2021)
Recognized as the
#1 Real Estate Company on Fortune's Most Admired List for the
third consecutive year
(February 2021)
MORE »
Named a
Best Place to Work for LGBTQ by the Human Rights Campaign and earned a
perfect score in Corporate Equality Index for the
eighth consecutive year. (January 2021)
MORE »
2020
CBRE has pledged to spend $1 billion with diverse suppliers in 2021. The company plans to increase its investment with diverse suppliers to $3 billion in five years. (October 2020)
Organized the largest fundraising campaign in its history, with its COVID-19 Relief Fund raising $15.3 million from employees and the company’s contribution to help regional and local organizations as well as CBRE’s own employees who are facing financial hardship due to the pandemic. (June 2020)
Winner of the 2020 ENERGY STAR Awards, which recognize organizations for developing energy efficient products and services that help customers save money and energy. (April 2020)
Included on the Ethisphere 2020 list of the World’s Most Ethical Companies. (March 2020)
2019
Named to the Investor’s Business Daily (IBD) list of Top 50 Best ESG Companies. CBRE is #23 and the only commercial real estate services firm on the list. (Nov 2019)