JLL tapped the executive who led the environmental effort at Interface, a flooring company certified last month as a carbon-neutral enterprise, to take over and expand its sustainability program.
The Chicago-based brokerage said Erin Meezan has started as its new chief sustainability officer. In her new role, Meezan is responsible for expanding JLL's sustainability program and the brokerage's commitment to being at the forefront of sustainable real estate operations.
Based in JLL's Atlanta office, she will replace Richard Batten, who is retiring after working more than 35 years in the real estate business, JLL said. Batten, who's based in London, oversaw the strategy, delivery and reporting of the firm's corporate sustainability program.
The transition will take place over the next couple of months, a JLL spokesperson said in an email.
Guy Grainger, JLL's global head of sustainability services and ESG, said in a statement that Meezan would "build on the work JLL is unlocking for climate action in built environments" and help lead the firm toward its goal of playing a key role in shaping the future of real estate when it comes to the environment.
Meezan reports to Grainger, a former CEO of JLL's Europe, Middle East and Africa region who took over as head of sustainability services at the beginning of 2021.
Meezan has 19 years of experience in sustainability. Her most recent position was as vice president and chief sustainability officer at Interface, an Atlanta-based maker of carpet tile and other flooring products. In that role, she led and surpassed the company's goals to achieve carbon neutrality across its product lines. Meezan also developed Interface's strategy to become a carbon-negative enterprise by 2040.
Last month, Interface was certified as carbon neutral according to an international carbon-neutrality standard created by the British Standards Institution.
Meezan looks forward "to helping JLL achieve its ambitious goals" in the sustainability realm, she said in a statement.
Batten began his stint as JLL's chief sustainability officer in January 2017, focusing on advising investor clients on commercial property. His work helped "transform the way our company and our clients view sustainability, embedding it as a key pillar of our business," Grainger said.
Batten said he was fortunate that his job offered him the opportunity to make a tangible difference when it comes to sustainability. "Throughout my time in the industry I’ve grown to understand the impact that real estate can have on our well being and on our planet," Batten said on LinkedIn.