Credit Suisse is committed to a sustainability-based approach to managing and developing its real estate holdings. To achieve these objectives it has implemented policies to ensure the incorporation of the societal, economic and environmental aspects in its business practices.

Roger Baumann, Global Head of Product Development and Sustainability for Real Estate Asset Management said “We at Credit Suisse are convinced that a progressive sustainability strategy will not only ensure our readiness to face future challenges, but also to act in an environmentally responsible manner. Rising energy prices and regulatory changes continue to impact our business. Therefore, our strategy depends on integrating these aspects into the management of our Real Estate Assets. As a new member of GRESB, we look forward to being able to maximize our synergies together with other global companies.”

We look forward to working with the Credit Suisse during this Survey Year and beyond.

Tishman Speyer is one of the leading owners, developers, operators and fund managers of first-class real estate worldwide. Since its inception in 1978, Tishman Speyer has acquired, developed, and operated over 353 projects totaling over 125 million square feet, and has assembled a global property portfolio in excess of USD $61.3 billion.

Tishman Speyer is committed to developing, redeveloping and operating its buildings with ever-increasing levels of efficiency. Their commitment to the environment extends to over 49 million square feet of sustainability certifications completed or in progress.

Tishman Speyer’s goal is to remain transparent to all of its key stakeholders and part of this commitment includes participation in in the GRESB Survey. In the 2012 Survey, Tishman Speyer’s private funds received three “Green Star” awards, and its Brazil II Fund was ranked as the “most sustainable” development fund in the world.

We look forward to both continuing and strengthening our relationship with Tishman Speyer during this Survey year and beyond.

AEGON has a presence in more than 20 countries and employs over 25,000 people worldwide. With over €458 million revenue generating investments it has a wide range of real estate investments in a variety of sectors.

AEGON Asset Management and TKP Investments in the Netherlands and Kames Capital in the UK are included in AEGON’s membership of GRESB. The Group is committed to sustainability and its ambition is to lead the way in sustainability integration in its chosen markets. Harald Walkate, Senior Vice-President and Head of Responsible Investment said, “AEGON Asset Management, Kames Capital and TKP Investments are long-term investors in real estate and believe that sustainability is a key performance driver for these investments. In addition, sustainability as a factor in real estate investments is more than a ‘nice to have’ – it is a necessity to operate in today’s competitive markets. We see GRESB as the leading benchmark in this space and are therefore excited to become part of this global initiative.”

We look forward to working with AEGON during this Survey Year and beyond.

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2013 Survey Launch – Press Release

The Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB), which measures the sustainability performance of the global real estate investment industry, today announced that its 2013 Survey is open for responses. In 2012 the data gathered by GRESB covered more than 450 companies and funds. This information is used by some of the industry’s largest institutional investors, investment managers and property companies to analyze their sustainability practices.

Each year, in cooperation with its membership, GRESB undertakes an annual survey focused on the sustainability performance of real estate investments, measured at the portfolio level. The approximately 50 questions that comprise the Survey are based on input from investors about what matters to them when examining sustainability issues. The purpose of the Survey is to evaluate real estate companies and funds’ performance and to inform investors of the success and progress of initiatives to improve their sustainability. GRESB’s global membership includes more than 40 institutional real estate investors and investment managers, plus all major real estate industry associations and a large number of consultants and product vendors.

This is the fourth year that GRESB has undertaken its Survey. Over that time, the response to the Survey has increased substantially, from 200 companies and funds in 2009, to more than 450 in 2012. GRESB covers seven unique sustainability aspects, which address not only environmental issues but also approaches to management, policy and disclosure, building certifications, sustainability risk management and stakeholder engagement.

Nils Kok, GRESB founder and Executive Director said, “GRESB is fully engaged with the real estate investment community. Our investor members have made clear that they see sustainability as being about more than environmental factors. They consider the whole spectrum and the result is that the 2013 GRESB Survey is, as in previous years, a comprehensive analysis of sustainability issues.”

Participants complete the Survey online via GRESB’s online portal, which remains open from 1 April until 1 July 2013. GRESB will then spend the summer analysing all the data received. The 2013 Survey results will be published in the first week of September. In addition to the publicly available annual GRESB Report, GRESB Members and Survey participants receive individual results that detail their respective funds’ and firms’ performance.

“The past few years have been a challenging environment for the real estate sector. However, at the heart of GRESB’s philosophy is the alignment of sustainability measures with financial performance. Our aim is to create a tool that can be used globally by investors and managers of real estate investments both to lower operating costs but also to better manage their investments and portfolios in the face of higher and more volatile energy prices, stricter legislation to combat climate change and require increased energy efficiency and the changing preferences of corporate tenants” said Sander Paul van Tongeren, Senior Sustainability Specialist at APG Asset Management, which is one of the organizations that co-founded the GRESB in 2009.

BNP Paribas Investment Partners is a global investment solutions provider, which spans both traditional and complex asset classes. A pioneer in sustainable and responsible investments, BNP Paribas’ SRI team has more than 20 billion euros in assets under collective, advisory-based or discretionary management.

Felipe Gordillo SRI Senior Analyst said “At BNP Paribas Investment Partners we are conscious of how energy efficiency and energy production, alongside green building characteristics, can enhance financial performance; as well as how poor environmental performance can undermine long-term returns. We therefore aim to get the most thorough and accurate analysis and data. GRESB allows us to access global coverage, increase the scope of our engagement with Real Estate companies, exchange knowledge and experience; while ensuring best quality data to best manage our Sustainable Real Estate Fund.”

We very much look forward to working with BNP Paribas during this Survey Year and beyond.