90% of Property Companies, Funds Actively Managing Carbon Emissions

Sept. 14, 2016
New data from GRESB show real-estate companies and funds are improving with respect to energy consumption, greenhouse-gas emissions, and water use.

GRESB, data provider for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance of real assets, recently released the results of its 2016 Real Estate, Developer and Debt assessments.

The new data show real-estate companies and funds are improving across all aspects of ESG performance, including a 1.2-percent reduction in energy consumption, a 2-percent reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions, and close to a 1-percent reduction in water use, and are putting greater focus on occupant health and well-being.

“The 2016 GRESB data demonstrates that the global real-estate sector is working to manage its carbon footprint, build resilience in the face of climate change, and respond to more stringent environmental regulations,” Nils Kok, chief executive officer of GRESB, said. “In 2016, 90 percent of property companies and funds reporting to GRESB are integrating carbon-management strategies into their investments. These actions have contributed to a 2-percent annual decrease in carbon emissions, the equivalent of taking 704,464 passenger cars off the road.”

A record 759 real-estate companies and funds participated in the assessment, representing more than 66,000 assets across 63 countries with a value of $2.8 trillion.

“GRESB ESG performance data and trends matter because they show that, on average, property companies and fund managers are acting to improve sustainability performance,” Jennifer Young, principal, Townsend Group, said.

Highlights of the 2016 assessments include:

  • Australian entities outperformed all other regions, with an average score of 74, which is 14 points above the global average.
  • Office companies and funds outperformed other property types, with an average score of 66.
  • Listed property companies outperformed private-equity entities by 6 points.
  • Participating companies and funds provided operational data, including energy, water, and waste performance, for more than 22,000 individual buildings.

For more 2016 GRESB data, go to https://www.gresb.com/. For a snapshot of the global results, click here.