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May newsletter | Last chance to request a Pre-Submission Check; Global investors expand ESG engagement

Published on 28 May 2024

What’s new in May

We’re approaching the end of May, which means just over a month to go until the close of this year’s reporting period on July 1.

May has been busy, and we are excited to share our updates in this newsletter, including:

  • Last chance to request your Pre-Submission Check by June 7!
  • APAC collaborative engagement campaign update
  • GRESB Accredited Professional (AP) now available
  • GRESB Foundation update

Please recall that as of last month all communications from GRESB have been coming from [email protected], so make sure to whitelist this address in your email settings to continue to receive news and updates from GRESB.

For more about what’s going on at GRESB, read below. For any questions, please contact us.

Last chance to request a Pre-Submission Check

Due to high demand we have extended the deadline to request a Pre-Submission Check to June 7. Book yours now for a careful review of your Assessment response, followed by a 1-hour discussion call and an optional feedback report. This can help you maximize the value from your ESG efforts and ensure that you are not overlooking any details in your submission.

In 2023, new GRESB Participants who used the Pre-Submission Check scored 2.9–7.4 points higher on average than those who did not.

There’s only a few slots left. Learn more about the Pre-Submission Check and request yours in the GRESB Portal.

Global investors expand ESG engagement in APAC

For the fourth consecutive year, a group of global investors, in collaboration with GRESB, has increased their coordinated efforts in the Asia Pacific region to engage with the real asset industry on significant ESG disclosures and net-zero strategies.

This year’s campaign has expanded to include infrastructure companies for the first time, in addition to listed real estate companies and REITs, resulting in an engagement rate higher than ever before.

“It’s great to see global investors using the weight of capital to encourage companies to improve their management of ESG issues. In turn, this can enhance investee companies’ financial performance and the long-term performance of investment portfolios,” said Ruben Langbroek, Head of Asia Pacific at GRESB.

Read more about the collaborative engagement campaign in our press release here.

GRESB AP now available 

The GRESB Accredited Professional (GRESB AP) program, designed to empower professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to excel in sustainability reporting within the real assets industry, is now available.

Open to GRESB Members, Participants, Partners, and individuals seeking to expand their knowledge in sustainability reporting, the GRESB AP credential will equip you with the expertise to understand, report, and manage sustainability data and performance within the GRESB Real Estate Assessment.

Take the GRESB AP exam to qualify for the credential and make sure to renew it annually to keep your knowledge current. The AP certificate is valid for 12 months, and you can start your AP journey here.

Foundation update 

Foundation stakeholder engagement 

The Foundation continues to actively engage with stakeholders through in-person and virtual meetings, as well as through a quarterly newsletter. The new newsletter includes updates on the Standards Committees as well as content, tools, and engagement suggestions relevant to Investor Members. If you are an Investor Member and would like to sign up to receive the investor newsletter, please email [email protected].

In March, we hosted a social sustainability roundtable in Sydney and recently an Investor Masterclass, which included presentations by APG, Hesta, NSW Treasury Corporation (TCorp), and VFMC, in addition to another Social Sustainability Roundtable in London last week. If you would like to receive updates on our social sustainability efforts, please email [email protected]. The next Investor Masterclass (virtual and in-person) will take place in London on Wednesday, June 26.

2025 Standards workplan  

The Real Estate (RESC) and Infrastructure Standards Committees (ISC) have begun to endorse the first proposals for changes to the 2025 GRESB Standards, which are then brought to the Foundation Board for approval. (For a refresher on the approval process, please revisit the GRESB Foundation 2024 Roadmap.) During its most recent meeting, the Foundation Board approved the first changes to the 2025 Infrastructure Standards: introducing data coverage across key metrics and standardizing Scope 2 GHG emissions reporting. The ISC is hopeful these two proposals will help to tackle key issues for the GRESB Infrastructure Standards, including:

  • Creating score differentiation for top performers
  • Moving towards scoring performance rather than disclosure
  • Increasing data quality

There is still an immediate opportunity for Investor Members to participate in the public consultation on building certifications, which will support the revision of building certification criteria and ultimately affect the scoring of each certification scheme within the GRESB Real Estate Standard.

Standards Committee members in-person meeting 

The Standards Committees will host their first in-person meetings this month. We are pleased the majority of RESC and ISC members can attend the event, and GRESB hopes to find ways to connect in person in the future. During the in-person gathering, both committees will host an extended version of their usual meetings, during which they will continue to work through their 2024 workplan. They will also participate in a joint committee networking session alongside the entire Foundation Secretariat and the Foundation Board chair.

Going beyond climate: Biodiversity in focus

Join us online on July 2 for the Going beyond climate: Biodiversity in focus webinar, in which we will explore real-world perspectives from industry leaders on navigating corporate challenges and daily operations, while uncovering the significant value creation potential that biodiversity presents beyond its natural benefits.

What is the role of biodiversity in sustainable development? How is the data collection vision emerging to support this? This event is essential for anyone looking to stay ahead in the rapidly evolving sustainability landscape.

Register for the webinar here.

GRESB events on demand 

All our recent GRESB Inside ESG events are now available on demand. Watch our latest webinars below:

The Pulse by GRESB 

The Pulse by GRESB is a new content series featuring the GRESB team, partners, GRESB Foundation members, and other experts. You can find the series on Spotify, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Listen to the latest episodes below:

Power play: Europe’s energy transition and ownership structures

Listen here

Raising the standards: Building certifications and the GRESB REAL Estate Standards

Listen here

Perspectives from Infrastructure Investor Global Summit

Listen here

Building for tomorrow: Dynamic materiality in infrastructure development

Listen here

Contribute to GRESB Insights 

The theme this month was “Regulatory Compliance & Alignment.” Below are the latest GRESB Insights on this and other rolling topics:

See all of our GRESB Insights here. Next month’s topic (June) is “The S in ESG.” See the 2024 GRESB editorial calendar and submit an Insights article here.

Upcoming industry events 

ULI Asia Pacific Summit | May 27-30 | Tokyo, Japan

This event brings together institutional investors, investment managers, developers, public sector leaders, urban planners, and real estate professionals to share ideas and exchange best practices. Yvonne Huang, GRESB Lead Representative Asia, will be speaking at the event.

REITweek 2024 Investor Conference | June 3-6 | New York, US

Gain access to Nareit corporate members and learn about their business plans, forecasts and strategies. REITweek offers compelling panels that provide the latest perspectives on the economy, industry trends, and other investment insights.

SuperReturn International | June 4-7 | Berlin, Germany

Get the inside track on innovation, ESG, growth, private debt, value, regeneration, and returns at private capital’s most senior and global gathering.

Provada 2024 | June 11-13 | Amsterdam, Netherlands

Join the largest real estate fair in the Netherlands with more than 200 exhibitors from the real estate sector and more than 70 municipalities, provinces, and the central government. The public sector is well represented and the public-private connection is central to the program.

Infrastructure Investor Japan Korea Week | June 11-14 | Seoul, South Korea & Tokyo, Japan

Gain insights into asset category investment prospects by the region’s most influential institutional investors and understand how to create a bulletproof strategy using insights from prominent institutional investors in Japan and Korea.

Greenfin 2024 | June 17-19 | New York City, US

Get up to speed on the latest ESG trends in finance and investing and discover essential products and services needed to accelerate your climate strategy. GRESB’s Chris Pyke, Chief Innovation Officer, will be speaking at the event.

2024 ASHRAE Conference | June 24-26 | Indianapolis, US

Delve into new approaches in integrated analysis and digital practice management, and practical real-world solutions to improve indoor environmental quality and address climate change. Parag Cameron-Rastogi, GRESB Real Assets Analytics Director, will be speaking at the event.

See our events calendar for a full overview of upcoming events.

Careers  

GRESB is growing and looking for new people! Please feel free to share with your network.

Our most recently added open positions:

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