Discover the opportunity for Commercial Real Estate in corporate accountability.
ESG, or Environmental, Social, and Governance is a set of standards used to evaluate an organization or community’s commitment to sustainable (Environmental), ethical (Social) practices, and outlines how those goals will be measured and achieved (Governance). Driven in large part by the boom of ESG or sustainable investing, it is important to look at the wider implications this has, specifically for commercial real estate.
You don’t have to be courting investors, or publicly traded to implement ESG strategies. The bottom line is this is the direction the world is moving. From our perspective, here are four important reasons to consider real estate ESG:
- Altruism and profitability are not mutually exclusive
Operating a more environmentally friendly and equitable company/building reduces waste, cuts cost, and increases efficiency, according to 2019 McKinsey & Company Research. As an energy efficiency consulting and construction firm, this is top of the list for Green EconoME when it comes to reasons to invest in ESG. - Attract top talent & tenants
Unless you plan to go the way of the dinosaur, formalizing your corporate values and commitments and applying them to your assets will keep you competitive. Make no mistake, prioritizing ESG is a choice, just like the one your prospective tenant, lender, future employee, or buyer will make when considering you and your properties. - Plan ahead: policy and the role of ESG
Globally and locally, regulation is expanding to meet science-based goals for climate action and social responsibility. While ESG or related benchmark reporting isn’t yet mandatory, just like ENERGY STAR(r) benchmarking, ESG data is becoming a leading performance indicator for real estate, and inevitably will become a standardized source of data for government-based carbon reduction targets or other asset assessments. - Data in, reporting easy
The modalities and data collected for ESG measurement are being integrated into risk assessment, financial reporting, and other annual real estate-related requirements. ESG is proving to be a reliable source for centralized data collection that serves the purpose of many. Think of the ways this can increase the efficiency of your organization.
As much as ESG is seen as a trend, it is so because it is at the tipping point of a new paradigm defining this generation and generations to come. It is a framework to approach this decade of action that we are in. The space between energy efficiency, the main business model for Green EconoME, sustainability, and carbon reduction is growing closer, rapidly. Accounting for the impact of your business on its community and the value of who makes it hum is not only responsibility, it's economic success. If you are ready to start your ESG journey, or if you have more questions about ESG, please reach out to Green EconoME.
