In the quest to achieve data quality, sustainability and cost savings, it’s important to align, not compete, with global initiatives like the GRESB Data Quality Standard. While surface-level data from bills and meters show us symptoms of poor performance, impactful action requires deeper knowledge of the root cause. To reach that root cause, we need timely, accurate equipment performance data.
What role does the infrastructure sector have in delivering sustainability/ESG impact?
The phrase sustainable development is used in so many contexts that it can become incredibly confusing at times. Two of the latest phrases to be used a lot are ‘sustainable living’ and ‘sustainable cities’. So, what do these actually mean? One of the original definitions of sustainable development, the Brundtland definition[1] talks about ‘meeting the […]
The internet is big, and it is growing bigger. This is what happens on the internet every 60 seconds, and it is but a tiny snapshot of everything that happens. Our digital lives are becoming increasingly dependent on this network, but this is having an increasing physical impact too. Alongside the visible infrastructure that crisscross […]
If we take a minute to think about some of the most prominent news stories of recent years, how surprised would you be if you were told that they can all be linked to environmental, social or governance (ESG) factors in some way? In the UK we have been bombarded with stories of Brexit, on […]
A Performance-Based Future for Real Asset ESG Reporting
During the past decade, GRESB has worked closely with institutional investors to create a global benchmark for the environmental, social, and government performance of real assets. This long-term effort has been rooted in the belief that information should be aggregated to the level of an investable entity — a company, fund, JV, or similar vehicle […]
The growing trend of ESG integration amongst companies and investors is more than a decision about doing what is socially responsible or morally right. Growing evidence suggests that ESG integration may be a key differentiator, providing organizations with a competitive advantage and leading to improved long-term financial performance compared to peers. Over 80% of corporations […]
A Healthy Dose of ESG can Maximize Investment in Health
Growing evidence indicates that companies can do well by doing good, and that by considering environmental, social, and governance factors, they can optimize their performance and strengthen their bottom line. ESG investing is taking on a new and influential role within the marketplace, expanding company considerations into previously unexplored arenas. Most notably, in pursuit of […]
Factoring in the Environment dimension of ESG in long- term infrastructure investment
Infrastructure and ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) dimensions should be natural bedfellows: after all, infra is about providing essential daily-uses services for the community, – such as transport, energy, utilities, telecommunication, social facilities, etc – underpinning the whole economic and social development. ESG has grown considerably in its importance to the investor community – in […]
The Business Case for ESG – Moving from ‘Why?’ to ‘Why Not?’
The United Nations Secretary-General calls climate change “the most systemic threat to humankind” (New York Times, 2018). The World Economic Forums’ 2018 Global Risks Report (World Economic Forum, 2019), published ahead of the 2019 Davos summit, cites 3 of the top 5 risks both in terms of impact and likelihood as being environmental in nature. Reinsurance broker […]
The Business Case for Environmental, Social & Governance Policies
How much time is spent writing policies and business plans which have the sole intention of detailing business growth, self-protection or increasing our market share? How much time is then spent developing relationships, investing in people or understanding customer needs? They appear to be two diametrically opposed ways of doing business. One is cold and […]
The business case for ESG. Shouldn’t it just be business as usual?
Environmental Social Governance (ESG) refers to “the three central factors in measuring the sustainability and ethical impact of an investment in a company or business”. These factors are becoming increasingly important investment considerations. Since 1970, there have been more than 2000 academic studies seeking to identify if there is a link between ESG and financial performance [1] – this […]
The case for embedding Environmental, Social and Governance into your business
Working at Savills over the last five years has made me more aware than ever of the business case for embedding Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) into the workplace. As standard, this is the set of criteria that the socially conscious use to pick and choose who they are willing to work with and can […]
Summary Results from the GRESB New Construction and Major Renovations Industry Survey
Construction, retrofit, and renovations are important phases in the life cycle of buildings, and responsible construction practices and sustainable design of buildings are essential aspects of the sustainable real estate industry. That’s why GRESB assesses the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance of real estate development activities via the New Construction and Major Renovations (NCMR) […]
2019 will be the year of adaptation to climate change: the French perspective
Decreasing energy consumption (of buildings in particular) is one of the major priorities of energy and climate policy in France following the Paris Agreement in 2015. This decrease considers all activity areas, especially real estate, which accounts for a large share of French carbon emissions (27%). With its first “Low Carbon National Strategy”, France is […]
Crossing the Threshold: Time to make digitalization in real estate and our cities responsible, ethical and sustainable
Knightscope K5 Robotic Security Guard. Image: Shutterstock Digital disruption, proptech, cybersecurity, AI, Alexa, smart buildings, smart cities, driverless cars – these are all hot topics of discussion around real estate today. Digital technologies, which have been emerging for some time, are now integrating with each other, and their take-up is being accelerated by high levels […]
2019 is the year of action, as leaders in sustainable real estate take major steps toward zero – from zero waste to zero carbon. Ambitious organizations are aiming for minimal—or even positive—impacts. The release of multiple zero carbon standards in 2018, including CaGBC’s Zero Carbon Building (ZCB) Standard, USGBC’s LEED Zero and ILFI’s Zero Carbon […]
2 Issues for 2019: social value and biodiversity net gains
The importance of sustainable real assets has become increasingly evident through the positive impact they can have on returns for investors/owners as well as future proofing the value of the investment. Issues such as energy efficiency are often an initial target, in part due to the ease with which improvement can be measured. More recently, […]
Leveraging Data for GRESB Greatness – Webinar | Goby
Dan Winters, Head of Americas, GRESB and Helee Lev, CRO, Goby outline actionable best practices and strategic opportunities for using your data to elevate your GRESB submissions and increase your portfolio’s ESG performance.
