Month: October 2020

https://www.griclub.org/news/real-estate/climate-change-considerations-in-real-estate_1341.html

ESG implementation in real estate strategies, throughout 2019, emerged as a new trend with LPs switching their focus towards impact & sustainable investments, which resulted in 2020 starting off with the largest investment volume for real estate impact investment strategies to date. But with the pandemic outbreak, tenants are increasingly concerned with the impact of buildings on their wellbeing, while investors are trying to minimise risk exposure to climate change related issues, such as fires, droughts and floods, through impact and socially responsible investments.

This GRI Report will discuss the immediate impact of Climate Change and associated risks for real estate and capital markets, as well as related ESG and wellbeing strategies from the point of view of GRI Club members and the IWBI during the “Wellbeing Impacts on Real Estate” and “Climate Change – Must one change investment strategies too?” GRI eMeeting. It will also explore the challenges and opportunities investors, lenders and developers will face when adapting these strategies.

https://www.pionline.com/esg/corporate-boards-improving-esg-less-diversity-survey

Corporate boards are improving the ways they deal with crisis management and ESG issues but less so on diversity, according to PwC’s Annual Corporate Directors Survey released Monday.

The survey conducted from February to March 2020 included 693 directors in more than a dozen industries, 75% of which have annual revenues of more than $1 billion. Among respondents, 76% were men.

The percentage of directors saying that disclosing a company’s efforts on ESG-related issues should be a management priority rose to 41% from 30% in 2019. The percentage of directors saying that ESG issues should regularly be on the agenda rose to 45% from 34% last year.

Among the directors, 67% believe issues like climate change should be taken into account when developing company strategy, and 50% said their boards fully understand ESG issues impacting the company.

The recommended metrics are organized under four pillars that are aligned with the SDGs and principal ESG domains: Principles of Governance, Planet, People and Prosperity. They are drawn wherever possible from existing standards and disclosures, with the aim of amplifying the rigorous work already done by standard-setters rather than reinventing the wheel. The metrics have been selected for their universality across industries and business models, but the intention is not to replace relevant sector- and company-specific indicators. Companies are encouraged to report against as many of the core and expanded metrics as they find material and appropriate, on the basis of a “disclose or explain” approach.

The result of this process is 21 core and 34 expanded metrics and disclosures, which the project commends to both IBC members and non‐IBC companies for adoption.