The University of Maastricht has carried out a study into the performance of the commercial real estate sector in the area of sustainability at the request of, among others, APG. After all, APG’s asset management is about more than realising financial gains. APG also assesses investments based on other criteria such as the impact on the environment or social issues such as child labour, trade union freedom and good management.
However, data or information about the degree of sustainability of the investment portfolios of stock-listed real estate companies is only available in the market to a limited extent. We were looking for a consistent method and approach for the calendar year 2008 (the baseline) in order to be able to really be able to compare regions (Europe, Asia Pacific and the US) and stock-listed versus non-listed real estate.
From the study it appears that, although energy-saving investments can create value for real estate investors, the majority of those who participated in the survey indicated that they do not pursue an active sustainability policy for their investment portfolios. Only a number of real estate funds in Australia, Sweden and the United Kingdom come close to the maximum score in the global Environmental Real Estate Index. They form an example for the rest of the sector. Click here for the complete press release (in English). The complete study can be downloaded from http://www.corporate-engagement.com/.
