What’s new in July
Now that the 2022 reporting season is behind us and the GRESB team is hard at work validating, scoring, and benchmarking the collected ESG data, we wanted to turn our attention and look at how investors and other members leverage insights from our assessments.
As you may recall, results of our 2021 GRESB Stakeholder Survey indicated variability in respondents’ understanding of how our data was used, particularly by institutional investors.
GRESB case studies
In an effort to shed light on this question, we have started a series of case studies that explore the many ways our community uses GRESB, starting with a small selection of our more than 170 investor members.
The first several case studies linked below delve into how investors use GRESB in their investment processes and decision-making – from evaluating companies and engaging with fund managers to preparing for risks and emerging regulations.
We hope that the resulting insights can help current and prospective members gain a greater understanding of the broad value found in ESG data and the role that the GRESB assessments can play in supporting organizational goals.
SFDR for Real Estate
We are excited to announce that the SFDR Reporting Solution for real estate is now available.
Designed to help managers with Article 8 or Article 9 funds report on product- and entity-level ESG practices, this solution will help real estate fund managers collect the necessary information to finalize a Principal Adverse Impact Statement and get ahead of emerging regulations.
To learn more about the SFDR Reporting Solution or to schedule a demo, please visit our webpage.
GRESB Foundation
Foundation Board
The application period to fill two open board vacancies has almost closed. You have until August 5. If interested, please apply here.
Real Estate Standards Committee
We reported last month that the Foundation Board has agreed to increase the size of the Real Estate Standards Committee by one member (to 16 in total), with an aim to address under-representation from the Oceania region. The new member is still to be selected and will be announced shortly.
GRESB Standards Roadmap
The GRESB Foundation continues its work on the Standards Roadmap, building on the vision published earlier this year. The GRESB Foundation Standards Committees and Board met this week to review the key proposals for changes to the 2023 Standards and the key directions for the five-year roadmap. A more detailed update will be provided in August.
Industry Engagement
To date, GRESB engagement with the industry has primarily been via the Foundation Board and Standards Committees, with Working Groups soon to be established. The GRESB Foundation recognizes a need for broader engagement with the industry and stakeholders beyond these formal groups and has agreed to:
- Hold regional information and Q&A sessions about the Foundation
- Hold regional feedback sessions to discuss stakeholder concerns and show how the Standards Roadmap is addressing them
- Provide a forum for online engagement
The regional information sessions will be announced shortly and will be open to GRESB members and partners.
GRESB Insights
Through GRESB Insights, we seek to highlight case studies on ESG integration in real assets, data-driven analyses of how the industry is responding to sustainability challenges, and educational articles exploring topics covered in the GRESB Assessments.
The theme of the month was “Creating a Sustainability Roadmap.’’ Below are our latest GRESB Insight articles on the topic:
- Utilizing data to create a sustainability roadmap for your company | WatchWire
- The path to creating an ESG roadmap | Cushman & Wakefield
- Creating a sustainability roadmap | Longevity Partners
The topic for August is “The S in ESG.” If you would like to contribute to GRESB Insights, If you would like to contribute to GRESB Insights, please review our 2022 editorial calendar
Upcoming events
ESG Investment Leader Europe 2022 | September 15 | London
The summit brings together senior investment officers, ESG and responsible investing experts from pension plans, insurers, foundations, and endowment funds, plus risk, operations, and data professionals of investment management groups to discuss the latest challenges and opportunities in ESG investing.
David Thomas, Director, Business Development – Infrastructure at GRESB, will be moderating.
ANREV Update on ESG in Real Estate | August 19 | Virtual + Sydney
- At this breakfast session, Australian and international industry experts will share the latest updates on ESG in the real estate industry. Presentation and discussions will cover responsible investments, sustainable finance, and ESG disclosure requirements.
Ruben Langbroek, Head of APAC at GRESB, will be moderating.
ANREV Australia Conference | August 24 | Melbourne
- The conference will examine Australia’s economic performance and outlook in a global context and look at the underlying economic and geopolitical drivers of its real estate markets and what Australia’s place in the real estate investment world.
ULI Asia Pacific Summit | 30 August – 1 September 2022 | Virtual + Hong Kong
- Discover key trends that are shaping the built environment with an eye toward the future, tapping into the collective experience of ULI members to address pressing global and local challenges facing the real estate industry and communities worldwide.
Ruben Langbroek, Head of APAC at GRESB, will be speaking.
Infralogic Investors Forum- Japan | September 13 | Virtual + Tokyo
- Discover the latest investment trends post Covid-19, how LPs strategies have changed since the pandemic and the importance of a diversified portfolio across geographies and sectors.
An exclusive 15% discount is offered to GRESB members to attend the Forum, please quote your VIP code GRESBIIFJP for registration.
Investor Forum | September 13-14 | London
- Hear global investors debate the outlook for infrastructure amid ongoing market volatility. Expand your network and connect with leading investors.
David Thomas, Director, Business Development – Infrastructure at GRESB, will be moderating.
PERE Global Investor Forum: Seoul | 15 September | Seoul
- Expand your network, gain actionable insight, and escalate your fundraising potential by understanding how Korea’s most active private real estate investors are looking to allocate capital.
- Trey Archer, Director Sales Asia, will be speaking.
Sustainable Finance and Investment Forum North America | September 22 | New York
- The Sustainable Investment Forum North America, hosted by Climate Action, will explore the need for central governments to direct capital for a greener, inclusive recovery and redirect fiscal policy towards resilient, sustainable.
Dan Winters, Senior Director – Strategic Initiatives at GRESB, will speak at this event.
SuperReturn Global Infrastructure | September 27 – September 29 | London
- Join to learn about perspectives on the effects of inflation and supply chain issues from a global perspective, the latest investment trends, challenges, and practical tips on achieving returns in infrastructure and renewable energy.
Use our 10% discount code: FKR2638GRESB. David Thomas, Director, Business Development – Infrastructure at GRESB, will be moderating.
See our events calendar for a full overview of upcoming events.
Careers at GRESB
GRESB is growing and looking for new people! If you are interested in joining our team, have a look at our careers page to see all of our job postings.
Our most recently added open positions:
- Analyst/Associate, Member Relations – Infrastructure | London
- Manager, Member Relations, Partners | Amsterdam
- Product Manager | Amsterdam
- Sales Director – Infrastructure (Sustainability) | Americas
- Data Steward | Amsterdam
What are we reading
Does ESG integration impact the real economy? | Center for Sustainable Finance and Private Wealth, University of Zurich
Special reports on ESG | The Economist
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