The move will help ensure the GRESB Standards remain investor-led and are developed and maintained in collaboration with the asset industry.
AMSTERDAM, November 22, 2021 – GRESB is pleased to announce that it has established the independent, non-profit GRESB Foundation (a Dutch stichting) to own and govern the GRESB Standards upon which the GRESB Assessments are based. This follows the management buy-out of GRESB from GBCI in November 2020 in partnership with global alternative investment firm, Summit Partners.
Our shared industry vision is a real asset investment industry that plays a critical role in creating a sustainable world – one where society can meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. The transition to sustainable real assets is one of the most fundamental challenges we face. It can only be met with reliable ESG information, standardized global benchmarks and collective action from all our stakeholders as we work towards a more sustainable future.
GRESB’s new governance structure is shown in the diagram below:
The GRESB Foundation has established a new governance structure, consisting of Standards Committees, Expert Resource Groups and Working Groups. The GRESB Foundation Board will start a formal nomination and selection process from GRESB members to fill vacant roles on its Board and positions on the committees and resource groups. Reflecting the “investor-led” nature of GRESB, at least two-thirds of these positions will be held by representatives of investor members and up to one-third by participant members, industry partners (i.e. industry associations) and partners.
“We welcome the establishment of a truly independent GRESB Foundation to govern the GRESB Standards and continue their development as investor needs evolve,” said Patrick Kanters, Managing Director Global Real Assets, APG Asset Management. “This is an important evolution to reinforce that GRESB is a by-industry, for-industry, mission-driven and investor-led organization. I look forward to serving on the Foundation Board alongside my former GRESB non-executive director colleagues – Deborah Ng, Head of Responsible Investing and Director, Total Fund Management, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP), and Mathieu Elshout, Head of Sustainability & Impact Investing, PATRIZIA, as well as the chairs of the current GRESB Advisory Boards – Alison Schneider, Vice President, Responsible Investment, Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo), and Kathleen Jowett, Fund Manager, LaSalle Global Partner Solutions.”
GRESB BV will continue to be responsible for administering the GRESB Assessments, providing the assessment, validation, scoring and benchmarking as well as promoting widespread adoption of the GRESB Standards and supporting its members. GRESB BV is a benefit corporation, which will seek formal B-Corp certification in order to protect the accountability for its mission over the long term.
“Since the change of ownership last year, we have collaborated with trusted and recognized industry leaders on the details of the GRESB Foundation and how it will work with GRESB BV to continue the important work of GRESB over the last 11 years and set a solid foundation for the future,” said Sebastien Roussotte, CEO of GRESB BV. “With the need for reliable ESG data only becoming more important, this new structure formalizes our engagement with investors, managers and other stakeholders, ensuring that all of our activities are in tune with the needs of our industry.“
Christian Strain, Chairman of GRESB BV Supervisory Board, said, “Representing the new shareholders in GRESB, we are very pleased that the non-profit part of the organisation has now been formally established. We look forward to working in partnership with the GRESB Foundation towards our shared vision of Sustainable Real Assets”.
About GRESB
GRESB is a mission-driven and industry-led organization providing standardized and validated Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) data to financial markets. Established in 2009, GRESB has become the leading ESG benchmark for real estate and infrastructure investments across the world, used by 140 institutional and financial investors to inform decision-making. For more information, visit GRESB.com
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