Leadership on Climate and Resilience – Join GRESB and Goby in San Francisco
Something big is about to happen in San Francisco. Leaders are converging from around the world talk about the future of the planet. They will make big commitments to greenhouse gas emissions reductions and talk about the big challenges posed by climate-related shocks and stressors. The focal point will be the first-ever Global Climate Action […]
Read more A New Focus on Water
Across the United States, and more broadly across the globe, water scarcity is expected to impact more than half the world’s population by 2030[1]. A 2014 study performed by the Government Accountability Office found that 40 out of 50 states in the United States are likely to experience a shortage of freshwater within the next […]
Read more Advancing Water Risk Assessment: Moving Beyond the Standard Tools
Water is undervalued in most markets. As a line item on a balance sheet, water is hardly noticeable. But as the saying goes, you don’t miss the water until the well runs dry. As more and more regions around the world are facing water risks including scarcity, pollution, and catastrophic weather events, companies are recognizing […]
Read more Natural Flood Management – “Myth or Masterstroke”?
What is NFM? Natural Flood Management (NFM) is currently a hot topic in the UK as there is debate as to what is included in NFM, whether NFM measures can solely be used in reducing flood risk or whether it is just a novel flood risk management option that has become a bandwagon that everyone […]
Read more Water Rises up on the Boardroom Agenda
“Any Other Business” Energy has long been high on the boardroom agenda for organizations looking to control their budget and comply with changing industry legislation. In contrast, water is often viewed under the item “any other business”. With regulated markets and comparatively low costs, many businesses believe that there are limited opportunities or risks associated […]
Read more 5 Ways for Companies to Address Water Scarcity and Management
Explaining Scarcity “If climate change is the shark, then water is its teeth and it is an issue on which businesses need far greater levels of awareness and understanding” – Paul Dickinson, Chief Executive Officer, Carbon Disclosure Project Water management by business has made an interesting journey over the past century – from unlimited use […]
Read more Would You Risk the Planet’s Fate on a ‘Coin Toss’?
The climate coin toss: Has your business set carbon reduction targets that only have a 50% chance of preventing a catastrophe? The Science-Based Targets Initiative is helping companies to set carbon targets to achieve the Paris Agreement’s ‘2ºC’ goal, but their approach gives just a 50% chance of success. Can we risk the fate of […]
Read more Sustainable Cities: GHG Emissions Inventories as a First Step Towards a Successful Green Economy
Our world continues to become increasingly urban. From the 19th century growth of European and North American cities, to the explosive population increase during the 1950s in cities like Tokyo and Mexico City, to the current expansion of cities in China and Sub-Saharan Africa, cities have been –and continue to be– global engines for innovation […]
Read more Scaling Building Resilience in the Face of Climate Change
In 2017 the U.S. experienced devastating storms, fires, and hurricanes that caused over $358 Billion in damages. And for countries and communities around the world, they continue to be impacted by climate change as weather patterns become unpredictable.
Read more Sustainable cities: innovative “hubs” and battlefields against negative change
Only ten years ago, knowing about sustainability meant that you might have accidentally read a piece of avant-garde research, speculating about harmful changes in our climate. In the blink of an eye, sustainability has gained wider momentum, and today has established itself as a global goal for our future and that of our planet. However, […]
Read more Analysis of physical risks related to climate change for Gecina’s real estate office portfolio
Why adaptation to climate change matters to lower the value at risk Buildings, designed to be managed over several decades, are particularly exposed to evolving climate hazards, particularly extreme hazards: heat waves, floods, intense rainfall, storms. Impacts on Gecina’s activity can be physical (damage to the structure or the technical equipment) or functional (deterioration of […]
Read more Leadership on Resilience from the GRESB Sustainable Real Asset Conference in Washington, DC
The GRESB Sustainable Real Asset Conference in Washington, DC was full of exceptional speakers. We learned about cutting-edge approaches to estimating physical hazards, engaged investment strategy, and innovations in rating systems. Critically, we also learned about on-the-ground leadership from property companies. We would love to share all of these thoughts and experiences with a broader […]
Read more GRESB Resilience Module: will you survive and thrive in the face of systems disruption?
When you hear the word resilience you might think of an activist like Martin Luther King, an explorer such as Ranulph Fiennes, or an athlete akin to Mo Farah. In all walks of life it is an admirable and desirable quality, but the meaning it carries in the field of commercial property is perhaps not […]
Read more Resilience in Infrastructure
Resilience was the theme of the recent GRESB – Siemens Sustainable Assets Conference at the Crystal in London. It was an opportunity to hear a range of speakers on many aspects of resilience, what it is and why it is important and to understand the opportunities and risks it has for investors and operators. There […]
Read more Building resilience through risk management
New and developing technologies play an increasingly important role in understanding the impact of environmental and social short-term shocks and long-term stressors, and will act as a vital tool to manage risk and improve an organisation’s ability to be dynamic and responsive to both. Visibility into data is a key component of risk management, as […]
Read more Making low-carbon and resilient buildings a reality
On May 9th 2018, the California Energy Commission announced that it had unanimously approved the plan to mandate solar panels on new homes and apartment buildings built after January 1st, 2020. This supports the State’s goal of increasing renewable resources to 50 percent of its electricity consumption by 2030, and to reduce its emissions to […]
Read more Three Potential Gaps in the Typical Assessment of Social and Environmental Stressors
Investors are expressing an increased interest in understanding the resilience of property and infrastructure assets and owners. The GRESB Resilience Module, launched across GRESB assessments this year, provides an exceptional vehicle for investors to evaluate the capacity of organizations to manage emerging social and environmental shocks and stressors. For many diverse, well-capitalized companies with mature […]
Read more Case Study: Sello – a perfect place to come together
This building – it’s a place to learn. It’s a place to compete. A place to practise, to improve. To invent. But above all, this building is a community. -Marianne Harjula, Sello Event Manager
Read more Resilience 101
In late August of 2017, the United States was bracing for another destructive force of nature. Hurricane Harvey made landfall and brought flooding that had never been seen before in Texas, causing catastrophic conditions in Houston and totalling over $125 million in damage – the second most costly natural disaster in United States history behind […]
Read more Deep Dive into Resilience: Three Highlights from the DC Sustainable Real Asset Conference
Over the last several years, resilience has emerged a material issue for GRESB investor members and participating companies and funds. Influential recommendations from the Taskforce for Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) have increased awareness about resilience among investors and provided a framework for systematic engagement with investments. Simultaneously, property and infrastructure companies have recognized new challenges […]
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