Decarbonising at scale: a new blueprint for the built environment
A new collaboration between Signify, Schneider Electric and Pineapple Partnerships aims to break down long-standing barriers to real estate decarbonisation through a scalable model
As the built environment grapples with the urgent need to reduce emissions, a new alliance is forming that tackles some of the complexities of tackling decarbonisation. Signify, Schneider Electric, and Pineapple Partnerships have launched ‘Pineapple CoRE’, a strategic collaboration that tackles some of the thorniest challenges facing commercial real estate including fragmented supply chains, funding gaps, and slow implementation.
Pineapple CoRE represents a systems-level rethink of how we approach the decarbonisation of existing building stock. With commercial and industrial real estate accounting for a significant share of global carbon emissions – and many buildings lagging behind in energy efficiency – the stakes are high.
From pilot to proof
The first deployment of the CoRE model at Edwards Vacuum, part of the Atlas Copco Group, serves as a blueprint for how the initiative can be scaled. At Edwards’ Clevedon manufacturing site, an integrated suite of interventions, from real-time digital twin modelling and solar PV to LED upgrades and occupancy-based controls, aims to reduce energy usage by 35% and cut emissions by over 80%.
This is more than a carbon-cutting exercise; it’s a live demonstration of what’s possible when financing, engineering, and digital infrastructure align under one coordinated strategy. ‘This integrated approach has increased the pace of implementation and reduced risk,’ said Chris Adams, Site Manager at Edwards Vacuum. ‘It’s helped us move towards a truly sustainable and future-ready energy system.’
Finance meets technology and delivery
What sets CoRE apart is its synthesis of capability across three domains: connected lighting and controls from Signify; energy modelling, automation, and infrastructure expertise from Schneider Electric; and Pineapple Partnerships’ ability to unlock capital and navigate complex delivery ecosystems.
Too often, real estate owners struggle to modernise because of siloed procurement, limited internal capabilities, or uncertainty about return on investment. CoRE confronts this head-on with a turnkey model designed to simplify decisions and speed up action.
According to Nico van der Merwe, Cluster Leader, Europe West at Signify: ‘Upgrading to connected lighting is one of the fastest, most cost-effective actions building owners can take to reduce emissions. But CoRE goes beyond lighting by combining proven tech with financial and delivery innovation to drive change at scale.’
Scaling for impact
The long-term ambition for Pineapple CoRE is to decarbonise over one million buildings, starting in the UK and scaling internationally. This ambition is underpinned by a firm belief that scalable change will not come from single-point solutions or isolated pilots, but from integrated pathways that address technical, financial, and operational barriers in parallel.
By bringing world-leading players together under a shared model, there is an opportunity to rewrite the rulebook for how real estate transitions to net zero.
As regulations tighten, ESG expectations rise, and energy costs remain volatile, the commercial property sector is under mounting pressure to transform. Pineapple CoRE offers a model that is technologically robust, financially accessible and operationally streamlined.
Learn more about CoRE at the upcoming WORKTECH London conference. Get your tickets here.
