Former General Manager of Real Utilities Paolo Bavilacqua (pictured left) will move to the company’s parent entity, Frasers Property Australia as the developer’s inaugural Group Head of Sustainability.
Bevilacqua will be based in Sydney and will deepen the developer’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) agenda, working alongside the leadership team and exploring strategic partnerships with external stakeholders.
“It is critical for our future readiness to take the initiative and embed ESG considerations as part of our corporate strategy,” says Frasers Group COO, Chia Khong Shoong.
“Stakeholder expectations of organisations’ commitment to the ESG agenda have picked up pace and the creation of this new role is an opportune time to further elevate the Group’s ESG ambitions.
“Paolo has already been internally leading a Group-wide taskforce over the last few years, so his familiarity with the Group’s sustainability efforts and progress, coupled with his deep expertise in the real estate and energy sectors make him the right candidate to helm and drive our ESG efforts. Paolo’s appointment also highlights our existing bench strength in sustainability and reflects our commitment in providing opportunities for internal mobility and progress.”
Bevilacqua joined Frasers in 2011 as Sustainability Manager and was promoted to General Manager for Sustainability before his prior position as General Manager of Real Utilities, where he was responsible for delivering carbon neutral energy to a number of Frasers’ developments. Bevilacqua was previously Vice Chair of the International Living Future Institute, and former Chair of the Board of Living Future Institute Australia, and represents Frasers Property on the Property Council of Australia’s National Sustainability Roundtable.
“I am delighted to take up this opportunity to further our efforts and drive impactful progress on the ESG front,” Bevilacqua says.
“Leveraging on the substantial progress we have made towards decarbonisation with our group-wide 2050 net-zero carbon goal, development of carbon reduction targets and work on our climate adaptation and mitigation plans, we are in a strong position to build on our ESG priorities. I look forward to tapping on the knowledge and expertise across the Group to build a regenerative and resilient business.”
Anita Hoskins (pictured right) will replace Bevilacqua as the new General Manager of Real Utilities. Hoskins will combine the role with being Frasers’ Chief Financial Officer, taking the carbon neutral energy business through its next growth phase.
“I’m looking forward to working with our current and future Real Utilities customers and partners, including authorities, the wider Frasers Property Australia development business and other stakeholders, to explore new and innovative ways to deliver sustainable energy solutions in pursuit of a cleaner energy future,” Hoskins says.
“As Frasers Property Australia progresses towards its ambitious 2028 net zero carbon target, Real Utilities will play an increasingly crucial role not only in the decarbonisation of our operations at Frasers Property, but also to reduce the carbon footprints of our customers, helping them future-proof their properties.”
Hoskins says Real Utilities have an opportunity to evolve their operations at a time when the energy sector is experiencing considerable difficulty.
“Having an established and trusted energy solutions provider can give our customers confidence that we will continue to seek out the best available options in line with our promise to provide cheaper, greener, simpler energy solutions,” she says.
“The impact of climate change on weather patterns and natural disasters means environmental policies must be front and centre of our strategic building and planning initiatives in Australia. Real Utilities is well-positioned to capitalise on this focus both for Frasers Property in Australia, as well as more broadly drive sustainable innovation within Frasers Property Group.”
