The King’s Cross Group appoints first Sustainability and Social Impact Director

Alongside a raft of recent sustainability achievements, The King’s Cross Group has strengthened its leadership in sustainability with the appointment of Sonal Jain as Director of Sustainability and Social Impact, marking the next step towards its ambitious net zero and social impact goals.

Sonal joins from Workspace, where she has led the company’s ESG strategy and embedded sustainability across its operations. With two decades of experience - spanning JLL, COP26 advisory work and her role as a board member of the Better Buildings Partnership (BBP) - she will guide the next phase of the King’s Cross estate’s sustainability journey, ensuring that long term stewardship remains at the heart of everything the Group does.

As one of London’s most vibrant mixed-use destinations, King’s Cross continues to set the standard for sustainable urban regeneration. The scale and diversity of the estate bring both a profound responsibility and an immense opportunity to lead - from decarbonising energy systems and designing for resilience, to nurturing inclusive local communities.

Her appointment comes as King’s Cross accelerates its progress towards a low carbon, resilient future. The estate’s Energy Centre is transitioning to 100% renewable heating and cooling through advanced heat pump technology, driving full electrification across the site. Complementing this, the King’s Cross Carbon Fund provides grants of up to £150,000 to local projects that cut emissions and improve air quality, combining environmental progress with community benefit. A new 15-year partnership with Shawton Energy will also deliver a 28-acre solar farm, generating enough clean power to meet 40% of the estate’s energy demand.

When it comes to social impact, the estate has built a strong reputation for fostering an inclusive, safe environment, ensuring that opportunities are shared with local communities. Its flagship initiative, KX Recruit - the estate’s free recruitment and job-matching service, now in its eleventh year - continues to connect local people with meaningful employment opportunities. Since launching in 2014, KX Recruit has placed more than 1,700 candidates into jobs, with 35% from BAME backgrounds and 55% previously unemployed, and engaged over 300 employers. Since the website launched in 2018, it has facilitated more than 21,000 job applications.

Sonal Jain, Director of Sustainability and Social Impact at The King’s Cross Group, said: “King’s Cross sets the bar for sustainable urban regeneration. With 19 million people visiting and tens of thousands living and working here each year, our opportunity to lead with sustainability at scale is immense. My focus will be on harnessing this scale to deliver meaningful impact - for the planet and for the people who make King’s Cross what it is.”

Leo Shapland, CEO of The King’s Cross Group, said: “At King’s Cross, sustainability isn’t just a commitment, it’s embedded in everything we do. It’s about impact that can be seen and felt - improving lives, reducing carbon, and creating lasting value. Sonal’s appointment positions us well to continue delivering impact at scale. At a time when some are questioning whether investment in society and the environment create competitive advantage, we’re clear: it’s going to be pivotal to how we unlock the long-term potential of the King’s Cross estate – for our investors, customers and communities.”

Sonal’s appointment comes at a pivotal moment as The King’s Cross Group assumes full asset-management control of the estate, creating a future-focused business dedicated to unlocking the estate’s long-term potential and reinforcing its commitment to sustainability.