Leeds City Council decarbonisation leader joins Eddisons as head of sustainability

Eddisons has appointed Nazar Soofi, former head of decarbonisation at Leeds City Council, to the new role of head of sustainability and decarbonisation.

The move marks a major strategic hire for the growing property consultancy as it launches its own sustainability centre of excellence, based at its Leeds head offices. Headed by Soofi, the new centre will act as a hub to provide leading-edge advice on carbon reduction and environmental best practice across the public and private sectors.

Credited with delivering the £50m decarbonisation programme at Leeds City Council that has become a global benchmark for sustainable urban development, Soofi has led the transformation of more than 80 sites in the city since 2021, including Leeds Town Hall, Civic Hall and Central Library, transitioning them from fossil fuels reliance to renewable energy.

Prior to taking on the city council’s decarbonisation mission he had a 25-year engineering career, delivering major fast-track projects for organisations such as Emirates Global Aluminium and engineering giant Bechtel. He has worked in the UK and internationally on high profile schemes including the Channel Tunnel Railway (right) and Abu Dhabi’s main container traffic hub, Khalifa Port, in fields as diverse as mining and civil engineering.

Soofi is renowned in Leeds and beyond for his expertise in delivering one of the world’s most successful urban decarbonisation programmes. He is a regular keynote speaker for Salix, the government body that provides grant funding for public sector decarbonisation and energy efficiency projects.

“I’m really excited to take on this new role with Eddisons, which as a business is ahead of the curve on sustainability. My appointment is testament to the fact that they are fully committed to supporting their clients to realising their net zero ambitions,” said Soofi.

“The new centre of excellence will be an accessible one stop shop providing practical advice on anything from a cradle to grave project to troubleshooting, and the most practical ways to achieve sustainability aims. I am looking forward to working with private and public sector organisations and steering sustainable and environmentally conscious practices right across the UK.”

Anthony Spencer, Partner at Eddisons said: “Naz is a leading light in the field of decarbonisation and sustainability and we are absolutely thrilled that he is joining Eddisons, where his contribution will enable us to make a step change in the services we can offer our clients in providing the very best advice and practical assistance on sustainability.

“We are passionate about sustainability and there is huge and growing demand from our clients for advice on best practice in this area. Headed by Naz, our new centre of excellence will be a ground-breaking facility that will act as a beacon in the progress to net zero.”

Founded in Yorkshire in 1844, Eddisons is one of the fastest growing property consultancies. Following a string of acquisitions, the firm now employs around 500 people across a network of more than 30 UK offices.