Bouwinvest improves its global sustainability ranking across the board

Bouwinvest once again improved its sustainability performance in this year’s Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) rankings compared with 2018. Each of the Dutch funds focusing on residential, office, retail, hotels and healthcare, as well as the international mandates, generated an above-average score compared with their international peers, according to GRESB’s latest results.

The Bouwinvest Dutch Office Fund received again a 5-star rating, the highest possible score, while the other Dutch sector funds received 4 stars. Bouwinvest’s European and Asia-Pacific mandates likewise achieved an average of 4 stars while the US mandate was awarded 3 stars based on the average. Thanks to these improvements, Bouwinvest is on track towards its goal of an above-average sustainability rating for the majority of its investments worldwide which total more than €12 billion.

Bouwinvest’s Dutch Healthcare Fund booked the biggest improvement with an increase of 35% due to the 4-star rating. The Dutch Hotel Fund also significantly improved its performance and retains its status as a global sector leader.

The Dutch sector funds and international mandates all booked a better score than last year. The strong improvement of the Dutch sector funds is due largely to efforts to make all our properties more sustainable, energy- and carbon reductions, the availability of large amounts of environmentally related data and external auditing of the accuracy of this data. In addition, each of the funds obtained the full 100 points possible for the management section. Most of the funds also achieved an above-average score for sustainability certificates and policy and transparency. In total, the funds received 54 more points than last year, generating four extra stars.

Dick van Hal, CEO Bouwinvest, said: “We are proud that all our funds and mandates have now achieved an above-average score from the global real estate sustainability benchmark. We are now on track to becoming one of the most sustainable real estate fund managers worldwide. And we will continue our efforts! Our goal is to achieve the two highest scores for all our funds and mandates.”

Bouwinvest Real Estate Investors GRESB results 2019:

Bouwinvest uses the GRESB results also in the analyses and benchmark for the international investments. Where possible we call for improvements of sustainability performance by engaging with our partners. We are firmly committed to our goal to invest worldwide in real estate that has an above-average sustainability score. 

GRESB is the global environmental, social and governance (ESG) benchmark for real assets. GRESB measures sustainability performance of real estate investments at the level of a real estate fund. In other words, it does not just measure how sustainable a building is, but also how the organisation deals with ESG issues at all levels. GRESB is driven by the conviction that the right policy, qualified employees, transparency, systems and data are essential to make real estate more sustainable. In 2019 a record 1,005 property companies and funds participated in the GRESB Real Estate Assessment. Bouwinvest has been involved with GRESB since 2012.

GRESB will officially announce the 2019 GRESB real estate scores for the Dutch market on 3 October. Bouwinvest is co-organiser of this special event to mark GRESB’s 10th anniversary. The event offers a great opportunity for real estate investors and managers to exchange knowhow and insights about sustainability developments in the sector. This anniversary event is also a good moment to reflect on developments since 2009 and to look forward to what we can achieve together by 2029.