For Merton businesses keeping a close eye on overheads, June brought what looked like welcome news. The government confirmed it won’t press ahead with the energy efficiency deadline many commercial landlords and tenants had been bracing for. Plenty of owners...

The relationship between commercial landlords and tenants has long been defined by a split incentive, where neither party really felt financially responsible for eco-friendly upgrades. Landlords see little reason to invest in expensive retrofits when the tenants pay the utility...