Market Insight: What Does ESG Mean For Real Estate Executives?

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Executive Summary

Corporate ESG initiatives are proliferating through organizational operations, touching on all departments and job functions. Buildings represent a significant proportion of corporate emissions, and influence employee health and wellbeing, making them a key factor in corporate ESG performance. Optimal management of a firm’s building portfolio is therefore a major lever in the delivery of sustainability and net zero targets – a task lying at the feet of real estate executives. This report assesses the level of impact that ESG is having on real estate executive priorities and job functions. The analysis finds that ESG is pushing real estate executives to reshape their initiatives, develop new skills and engage a wider range of stakeholders to support corporate objectives. 

Table of contents

ESG Is Barging Its Way Onto Executive Agendas
Real Estate Executives Are Fundamental To The Delivery Of ESG Strategies
ESG Adds Additional Actions And Priorities For Real Estate Teams
Meeting ESG Ambitions Will Require Real Estate Executives To Redefine Roles, Missions And Skills

Table of figures

Figure 1. Real Estate Executives’ Involvement In ESG Strategies 
Figure 2. Real Estate Teams Are Ramping Up Their Efforts Around ESG Initiatives 
Figure 3. Sustainability And ESG Drivers Affecting Real Estate Strategies Over The Coming Year

Organisations mentioned

AECOM, Bloomberg, CBRE, Tesco, WSP Global

About the authors

Ben Readman

Industry Analyst
Ben is an Industry Analyst in the Verdantix Smart Buildings practice. His current research agenda focuses on ESG strategies and technologies for real estate, and corporate real estate technology investment strategies. Ben Joined Verdantix in 2021, having previously worked as a researcher at CECAN and as a sustainability officer for the NHS. He holds a Masters in Environmental Strategy from the University of Surrey and a BA in Geography from the University of Birmingham.

Rodolphe d’Arjuzon

MD and Global Head of Research
Rodolphe co-founded Verdantix in 2008 and directs the firm’s research strategy across all practice areas. Rodolphe has over 20 years of experience in technology research and strategy consulting. He previously worked for Barclays Bank and L.E.K. Consulting. Rodolphe holds a PhD in Physics from the University of Cambridge.

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