Key takeaways from “Asset-level Data for Investment Grade GRESB Reporting” Webinar
Published on 8 March 2018
Granular asset-level data is the next step in achieving Investment Grade sustainability practices. Experts from GRESB, Heitman, ULI Greenprint, and Measurabl discuss best practices around asset-level data collection and how to file cutting-edge Investment Grade GRESB reports.
Watch the webinar to learn how asset-level data benefits your organization and best practices for data collection. Three major takeaways from the discussion:
What gets measured gets improved
Sustainability frameworks like GRESB aim to create a goal for companies to reach. GRESB, among others, has made collecting, analyzing, and reporting this performance data essential to their scoring system.
“The idea is the old adage ‘what gets measured gets managed,’ and that’s fine, but it’s almost become passé. ‘What gets measured gets improved,’” said Dan Winters, Head of Americas at GRESB. He further discusses how these measurements are where real value is created and, with Investment Grade data, what GRESB and leaders in the industry are doing to drive the market to highly accurate metrics.
Value of ESG goes beyond doing good
The value of sustainability extends far beyond responsible corporate practices. Heitman has implemented a sophisticated data collection and data flow process to ensure it has the data to support each sustainability measure it implements and track how these projects benefit investors.
“We believe that if we are focusing on sustainability, we have a greater impact on drawing more tenants to our properties. We have the opportunity to innovate and differentiate our properties,” said Laura Craft, Head of Global Sustainability at Heitman.
Heitman has invested in updating building systems, tracking energy efficiency projects to evaluate ROI, and applying for more certifications for greater appreciation to create maximum returns for investors. Heitman has reported to GRESB for years as a part of this initiative to gain recognition for their advanced sustainability practices.
Good asset-level data is key
In the past, asset managers could make estimates about building performance – it was the accepted norm. Nowadays, you need to be precise and have real, accurate data to be competitive. Institutional investors want to know that companies have processes in place to monitor their assets and corrective action is being taken; this is how leaders differentiate themselves.
“The companies that are able to touch on four areas – investor mandates, regulation, tenant demand, goals setting – are able to increase value creation and enhance the environmental performance of their properties,” said Micah Brill, VP of ULI Greenprint Center for Building Performance. To do this, you need granular asset-level data to make informed decisions.
To get the full story on this insightful discussion, watch the webinar.
The Race Against Time: Decarbonizing the Commercial Real Estate Industry
aces another looming threat: a climate that’s warming even faster than we previously realized. A startling new report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned of more extreme weather events to come as the temperature continues to rise.
Reporting ESG Data in 2021: Meeting High Investor Expectations in the Wake of COVID-19
Businesses are expected to have timely, accurate, and verifiable financial information on hand at all times. As investor appetite for ESG disclosure and sustainability reports increases, the demand for non-financial data is rising nearly to that level of expectation. Stakeholders, as well as the public, are acutely aware of the risks associated with a company’s poor sustainability performance, unfavorable working conditions, and lack of diversity among management, and other factors.
