Property owners worldwide improve environmental performance

A global portfolio of offices as well as multifamily, industrial retail, and hotel assets make great showing in reducing energy use and carbon emissions

Greenprint, a global alliance of real estate owners, investors and financial institutions, has made headway over the last 10 years in meeting environmental performance targets, according to a new report from the Urban Land Institute.

The alliiance, which owns around 8,916 buildings across 32 countries, improved its energy use intensity by 17 percent over a 10-year period. Members are also on track to halve carbon emissions from their assets by 2030.

A move towards a circular economy, more intense climate legislation, and heightened investor pressure on environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) initiatives have compelled and incentivised members to make significant progress over the decade.

“For the past ten years Greenprint has worked with the real estate investment community to help expand and improve upon sustainability best practices within the commercial real estate sector,” said Daniel M. Cashdan, chairperson of The Center for Sustainability and Economic Performance, which houses the Greenprint Center, in a statement.

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“As the race against climate change’s various impacts on our cities picks up, the focus of global fiduciaries has become sharpened. Greenprint, as part of our Center for Sustainability and Economic Performance, exists to serve as a resource hub for investors across the globe,” said Cashdan, who also serves as president of HFF Securities, a JLL Company.

Membership with Greenprint is on the upswing. The number of properties included in this year’s report has risen by 12 percent annually. The portfolio of Greenprint members has also grown by 15 percent, in terms of floor area, to more than 190 million square metres (2 billion square feet) of office, multifamily, industrial retail, and hotel property.

Greenprint members now account for USD750 billion (EUR674 billion) of real estate assets under management, equivalent to four percent of the value of high-quality commercial properties globally.