Julia Faltus-James, an accredited professional in WELL, ActiveScore and “Green Home” certifications, and Szymon Krawczyk, an energy transition expert, have joined the Strategic Consulting & ESG Advisory team of global real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield. This move reflects the firm’s response to the growing demand from real estate and construction companies for high-quality specialist services related to the sector’s sustainable transformation. Cushman & Wakefield provides comprehensive solutions tailored to the evolving ESG requirements, addressing the needs of diverse market players.
“The past few months have been another highly intensive period of working for our clients on projects such as ESG and energy audits, analyses related to EU Taxonomy criteria and calculating carbon footprints throughout the building lifecycle. The market’s needs are enormous, so I am delighted to welcome Julia Faltus-James as our ESG Services Manager and Szymon Krawczyk as an ESG Consultant to our team of experts,” says Katarzyna Lipka, Head of Strategic Consulting and ESG, Cushman & Wakefield Poland.
“Julia has an impressive track record as a designer, site engineer and ESG and sustainability expert in the construction industry. Szymon, on the other hand, has successfully worked on projects such as decarbonisation strategy development, carbon footprint analysis, thermographic surveys and analysis of energy flows in buildings,” adds Katarzyna Lipka.
Julia Faltus-James brings over 12 years of professional experience in construction and real estate, having worked in Poland and the United Kingdom for Skanska UK Plc and JW-A. She has advised some of Poland’s largest general contractors on implementing green certification guidelines, implemented ESG policies aligned with certifications for real estate clients and international financial and strategic advisory firms. Julia has also conducted verification processes for compliance with the EU Taxonomy for real estate organisations. As an accredited professional, she has carried out WELL CORE and WELL Certifications with Gold and Platinum ratings and completed the first WELL Performance Rating in Poland. Earlier this year, she attended GBCI Europe Circle 2024 in Athens, where she spoke about strategies for preventing air pollution in buildings under the WELL and LEED green certification systems and the EU Taxonomy as part of the DNSH Pollution Prevention setting technical requirements for the RE sector. Julia graduated in Civil Engineering from the Cracow University of Technology.
Szymon Krawczyk has remained firmly focused on the energy transition throughout his professional career. As an auditor, he has led energy projects, advising on energy use optimisation and securing subsidies. He has experience in decarbonisation strategy development, carbon footprint analysis, thermographic surveys and analyses of energy flows in buildings to help companies achieve goals related to energy efficiency, reducing GHG emissions and lowering operating costs by improving energy performance. Szymon holds a degree in Construction from the Warsaw University of Technology, specialising in sustainable construction. He is licensed to issue energy performance certificates and is proficient in using energy modelling tools.
Expanding ESG expertise
The Strategic Consulting & ESG Advisory team of Cushman & Wakefield Poland is focused, among other things, on developing integrated strategies that address sustainability goals and on proposing solutions and tools supporting clients in achieving them. Cushman & Wakefield ESG services include the following:
- EU Taxonomy advisory and audits
- ESG audits for existing and planned properties
- Energy audits:
- Calculating the carbon footprint throughout the project lifecycle
- Building certifications in international multi-criteria certification schemes
- Decarbonisation strategies
- Preparation and verification of Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) for buildings and premises
- Energy efficiency advisory during project design and development
- Energy advisory and identification of energy-efficient buildings in the search for new locations for companies
- Development and implementation of ESG strategies for real estate companies and support in sustainability reporting
Cushman & Wakefield has broad experience in multi-criteria certification schemes such as BREEAM, LEED, WELL and Fitwel. In 2021, it was the first company in Poland to appoint accredited professionals in WiredScore and SmartScore certifications: the internationally recognised digital connectivity and smart building rating systems. Cushman & Wakefield also provides energy advisory services during energy purchase and optimisation processes and audits of building systems with a view to identifying potential financial and environmental benefits. It also develops decarbonisation strategies and pathways to reduce carbon footprint.