GRESB and BREEAM partner to recognise responsible real estate investments in Asia

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GRESB and BREEAM are partnering to recognise responsible real estate investments and individual leadership in Asia, as part of the annual BRE China Awards. 

On the afternoon of Mar 3, 2021, the BRE China Awards and BREEAM 30th Anniversary will take place at The Langham Shanghai, announcing the winners and showcasing the most innovatively sustainable BREEAM rated buildings of the previous 12 months. For the first time, the Awards will also recognize the high achievements of BREEAM assessors as well as responsible investments in real estate in Asia, through a partnership with GRESB. Learn more and register.

GRESB & BREEAM 

GRESB is the international membership organisation that assesses the environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance of real asset portfolios and assets, providing standardised and validated ESG data to the capital markets, including institutional investors in real estate. GRESB Investor Members use the ESG data and GRESB’s analytical tools to monitor their investments, engage with their managers, and make decisions that lead to a more sustainable and resilient world.

Participant Members, including listed property companies, developers, and non-listed fund managers, receive comparative business intelligence on where they stand against their peers, a roadmap with the actions they can take to improve their sustainability performance and a communication platform to engage with their investors.. In 2020, a record 1,229 property companies, real estate investment trusts (REITs), funds and developers jointly representing more than USD 4.8 trillion in gross asset value, participated in the GRESB Real Estate Assessment.

BRE is a world-leading research institute on sustainable buildings. Since 2016, when BRE established an office in China, their BREEAM green building scheme has seen rapid  uptake in the Asian market. 

This year, the GRESB/BREEAM Asia shortlist candidates are drawn from GRESB members who have the highest percentage coverage of and total number of assets using building certifications and with assets using BREEAM building certification.

The shortlisted entities for the GRESB/BREEAM Award for Responsible Investment in Asia are:

  • White Peak Real Estate Investment
  • VR China LP
  • Frasers Logistics and Commercial Trust
  • City Development Limited
  • China Vanke
  • China Overseas Land & Investment
  • Capitaland Limited

Quote from Ruben Langbroek, Head of Asia Pacific, GRESB

“GRESB is very excited to be extending our joint awards with BREEAM to Asia at the inaugural BRE China Awards. In 2020, about a third of reported operational assets in the GRESB Asia portfolio received building certifications. We are very encouraged by the growing focus of Asia real estate managers on data driven approaches to improving sustainability in real estate. This joint award program allows us to recognize leadership demonstrated by Asian real estate companies and individuals that have contributed to the growing momentum of responsible real estate investments in Asia.”

Quote from Shamir Ghumra, Director of BREEAM, BRE Global

“BREEAM has been partnering with GRESB for the global awards for a number of years; our schemes are recognised and provide additional assurance for investors and real estate clients. This partnership for the BRE China Awards will further strengthen our connections and will give our mutual customers more confidence to continue to support BREEAM and GRESB going forward. Reflecting on 2020 which has had such a significant impact on the world it is even more inspiring that these projects continue to push the boundaries of sustainable building performance.”

Individual Leadership Awards

The Individual Leadership awards recognise individuals who have demonstrated strong leadership and commitment in the field of sustainable development, and personally championed the cause of responsible real estate investments in Asia. 

The shortlisted individuals for the Investor Category are:

  • Mr. Hideto Yamada
  • Ms. Yoo-Kyung Park

The shortlisted individuals for the Manager Category are:

  • Ms. Esther An
  • Mr. Feng Lu
  • Ms. Ellie Tang
  • Ms. Karen Xu
  • Mr. Raymond Yau

Ongoing Collaboration

The GRESB/BREEAM Asia awards are part of a wider and ongoing collaboration between BRE China and GRESB to build links between their respective data platforms. There is a strong synergy between GRESB as a portfolio-based reporting tool and BREEAM as a more granular asset-based reporting and certification methodology. BREEAM and GRESB’s long-term aim is to increase the efficiency of the data reporting and provide clients with an effective means of identifying and improving sustainability performance.

Follow BRE China WeChat account for the latest awards updates.