26B — March 25 - April 14, 2016 — Green Buildings — M id A tlantic
Real Estate Journal
www.marejournal.com
G reen B uildings
An optional supplement to the GRESB Real Estate Assessment GRESB launches Health & Well-being Module for the real estate industry
ashington DC — GRESB , the global standard for ESG assessment of real es- tate portfolios and infrastruc- ture assets, announced the launch of the GRESB Health & Well-being Module. This new module is an optional supplement to the GRESB Real Estate Assessment, which is an annual survey on behalf of a large group of institutional investors that captures information regard- ing the ESG performance of property companies, fund managers and developers. The new module evaluates W
and benchmarks actions by property companies and funds to promote the health and well-being of employees and their strategy to create value through products and services that promote health and well-being for their ten- ants and customers. “The design, construction and operation of our built en- vironment has a profound im- pact on individuals and popu- lations,” said Chris Pyke , COO, GRESB. “GRESB’s vision is to ultimately create better places for people and communities – places that re- duce environmental impacts,
improve social practices and set high standards for corpo- rate governance – in profit- able ways that make good business sense and reward innovation. This new Health &Well-being Module adds an additional component to the annual GRESB Assessment and sends a signal that hu- man health and well-being plays a critical role in assess- ing the value of real estate portfolios and other assets.” Real estate development can serve to create superior places – places that enhance productivity, support physi- cal activity, promote social
interaction, provide access to vital services and contribute to happiness. As interest in health and well-being in the built envi- ronment grows, the industry has recognized the need for practical tools for systematic assessment, objective scoring and peer benchmarking of health and well-being. The GRESBHealth &Well- beingModule includes 10 new indicators providing investors and property companies and funds with new insights on leadership, needs assess- ment, implementation action and performance monitoring.
The module has two primary areas of focus: (1) the promo- tion of health and well-being for employees and (2) the provision of products and services that help promote health and well-being for tenants and other customers. This parallel focus allows in- vestors and property compa- nies and funds to differenti- ate action to benefit internal operations (employees) from value-creating products and services offered to others. “The GRESB Health & Well-being Module will make real estate companies and funds more transparent and make comparative informa- tion more accessible and actionable for investors. This represents an important step toward resolving long-stand- ing market failures and mak- ing health an investible attri- bute of real estate,” said Dr. Matt Trowbridge, Associate Professor, Associate Research Director, Department of Pub- lic Health, University of Vir- ginia School of Medicine. The GRESBHealth &Well- beingModule is now available in pre-release via the GRESB website and will be open for submission starting April 1, alongside the GRESB Real Estate Assessment. GRESB is an investor-driv- en organization that is trans- forming the way we assess the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) per- formance of real estate portfo- lios and infrastructure assets globally. GRESB encompass- es more than 190 member companies, 60 of which are pension funds and their fidu- ciaries, jointly representing more than USD 11.2 trillion in assets under manage- ment. GRESB members use GRESB data throughout the investment management and engagement process, with the clear goal of optimizing the risk/return profile of their real estate investments. The global property indus- try is at the heart of the most important and far-reaching issues of our time, including urbanization, demographic change, resource constraints, environmental impacts and emerging technologies. The design, construction, and op- eration of buildings reflects, drives and potentially miti- gates the impact of all of these issues on occupants, owners, communities and society at large. n
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