Integration and Implementation of ESG Strategies for Real Estate Companies
Integration and Implementation of ESG Strategies for Real Estate Companies

Author: Chen Zhao (Real estate development researcher)

Publisher:

Published: 2023

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13:

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There has not been a time in the history of capitalism that real estate investors and managers care about "doing good" as today. While the sole pursuit of financial return has undoubtedly been the dominant driver for real estate investments, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations currently play an increasingly vital role in decision-making for real estate companies. However, as the regulations and capital markets around ESG are still in their nascent phase, the real estate industry has to rely on diverse sources of information and unverified assumptions to determine what, how, and why they should approach ESG." This study examines how real estate owners, asset managers and developers approach asset-level and portfolio-level ESG issues through deep-dive interviews with ESG leaders of major market players. Based on the interviews, the paper identified various patterns of methodologies for how those companies 1) integrate ESG into their investment process, 2) define ESG targets and metrics, 3) collect and manage data, 4) prioritize among ESG strategy options, and 5) perceive the impacts of those practices. Beyond providing a structured overview of the current ESG practices by major US real estate companies, the study also intends to unveil the rationales behind those efforts. By mapping the results across the companies' attributes, including ownership structure, investment strategy, international exposure, and asset class, it also sheds light on potential explanations for the divergence of their perspectives.

ESG and Responsible Institutional Investing Around the World: A Critical Review
ESG and Responsible Institutional Investing Around the World: A Critical Review

Author: Pedro Matos

Publisher: CFA Institute Research Foundation

Published: 2020-05-29

Total Pages: 80

ISBN-13: 1944960988

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This survey examines the vibrant academic literature on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing. While there is no consensus on the exact list of ESG issues, responsible investors increasingly assess stocks in their portfolios based on nonfinancial data on environmental impact (e.g., carbon emissions), social impact (e.g., employee satisfaction), and governance attributes (e.g., board structure). The objective is to reduce exposure to investments that pose greater ESG risks or to influence companies to become more sustainable. One active area of research at present involves assessing portfolio risk exposure to climate change. This literature review focuses on institutional investors, which have grown in importance such that they have now become the largest holders of shares in public companies globally. Historically, institutional investors tended to concentrate their ESG efforts mostly on corporate governance (the “G” in ESG). These efforts included seeking to eliminate provisions that restrict shareholder rights and enhance managerial power, such as staggered boards, supermajority rules, golden parachutes, and poison pills. Highlights from this section: · There is no consensus on the exact list of ESG issues and their materiality. · The ESG issue that gets the most attention from institutional investors is climate change, in particular their portfolio companies’ exposure to carbon risk and “stranded assets.” · Investors should be positioning themselves for increased regulation, with the regulatory agenda being more ambitious in the European Union than in the United States. Readers might come away from this survey skeptical about the potential for ESG investing to affect positive change. I prefer to characterize the current state of the literature as having a “healthy dose of skepticism,” with much more remaining to be explored. Here, I hope the reader comes away with a call to action. For the industry practitioner, I believe that the investment industry should strive to achieve positive societal goals. CFA Institute provides an exemplary case in its Future of Finance series (www.cfainstitute.org/research/future-finance). For the academic community, I suggest we ramp up research aimed at tackling some of the open questions around the pressing societal goals of ESG investing. I am optimistic that practitioners and academics will identify meaningful ways to better harness the power of global financial markets for addressing the pressing ESG issues facing our society.

The Palgrave Handbook of ESG and Corporate Governance
The Palgrave Handbook of ESG and Corporate Governance

Author: Paulo Câmara

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2022-06-28

Total Pages: 464

ISBN-13: 3030994686

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Since the 2008 Global Financial Crisis the prevailing economic development model based on an assumption of unlimited resources and, therefore, unlimited growth has been increasingly put into question by academics, policy-making agencies and even industry leaders themselves. Climate change, general environmental and natural resource degradation, widespread inequalities, and systemic governance failures are pressing capitalism to renew itself to deliver sustainable outcomes for a broader base of stakeholders. This has become known in more practical terms as the ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) and responsible investment movements. The pressure to change how we organise ourselves as societies and economies has implications for how large and small corporations, public or private, are governed and to the benefit of whom. This Handbook offers a rare combination of pluralistic and multidisciplinary perspectives from law, economics, finance and management, as well as an interesting mix of latest academic thinking and practical recommendations on ESG for boards and executive teams. Should companies be governed and managed for the benefit of their shareholders alone? Can companies be governed to deliver for shareholders as well as the broader stakeholder base? How can investors allocate capital to advance sustainability? Part I provides a pluralistic discussion of some of these fundamental questions besetting academics and practitioners alike while Part II examines recent regulatory developments and assesses what may need to change in terms of law and regulation to both hold companies to account for sustainability while enabling them to continue to provide vital goods and services. Part III of the book discusses how the different types of companies and investors are currently facing the sustainability imperative and incorporating ESG factors on how they operate and invest. The concluding chapter provides an overview of the key regulatory, ecosystem and board-level gaps that require urgent and decisive action.

The Real Estate Industry and Environmental Social and Governance Awareness (ESG)
The Real Estate Industry and Environmental Social and Governance Awareness (ESG)

Author: Katharina Kühn

Publisher: GRIN Verlag

Published: 2020-12-30

Total Pages: 62

ISBN-13: 3346321541

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Seminar paper from the year 2020 in the subject Economy - Real estate industry, grade: 1,2, Reutlingen University, language: English, abstract: The objective of this paper is to identify potential metrics that can be used to measure the awareness of environmental, social, and governance factors within the real estate industry effectively. Thereby, this paper also attempts to identify drivers that encourage stakeholders to increase their ESG awareness. This paper further looks at the issue of ESG for the real estate industry from a macro perspective rather than a micro-perspective. Thus, metrics will be accordingly high-level to hopefully capture the awareness within the market from a multi-dimensional perspective, rather than analyzing the ESG metrics for a single player in the real estate industry. As one of the industries with the highest carbon footprint, the real estate sector needs to cut 77 % of total carbon emissions by 2050 compared to 2016 in order to meet goals set out in the UN Paris Agreement. These facts are alarming. Especially the longevity of real estate makes ESG issues particularly relevant for this industry. Thus, the real estate industry carries a significant amount of importance and responsibility when it comes to reaching these climate goals.

Responsible Investing
Responsible Investing

Author: Matthew W. Sherwood

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2018-09-21

Total Pages: 270

ISBN-13: 1351361929

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This textbook provides the first holistic resource on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing for undergraduate and graduate programs. It provides a thorough background and history of ESG investing, as well as cutting-edge industry developments, in a way that introduces the reader to the rapidly developing field of responsible investing. Beginning with a comprehensive background of ESG investing and the development of models measuring risk and return, the book then discusses the development of ESG risks, and provides an overview of ESG rating systems. The textbook also outlines the current position of ESG investing in portfolio management through granular analysis, provides insight into common investor concerns about ESG investments, discloses qualitative theories relevant to ESG investing, and reviews literature attempting to model ESG investment performance. Finally, the authors provide readers with a foundation on the development of financial models measuring risk and return, which will be useful for measuring the performance of ESG investments. With case studies from contributors around the world, this textbook is the first of its kind to truly provide a compelling blend of quantitative and qualitative analysis supporting the incorporation of ESG investment strategies into investment portfolios. Offering an excellent overview of the growing trends in ESG investing, as well as a close analysis of ESG theories and their practical application both today and in the future, this book will be a great resource for both undergraduates and graduate students.

ESG Integration and SRI Strategies in the EU
ESG Integration and SRI Strategies in the EU

Author: Luca Spataro

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2023-10-25

Total Pages: 291

ISBN-13: 3031364570

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This book analyses sustainable finance policies implemented by the European Commission since January 2020. Gathering contributors from a range of European and international universities, it particularly aims to explore how EU strategy on green finance encourages and stimulates socially responsible investments that provide solutions to the challenges of the energy transition. The book provides a comprehensive coverage of economic, financial and legal issues concerning green finance and ESG factor integration in the EU. The first part of the book discusses theoretical and empirical perspectives on socially responsible investments (SRIs) and ESG integration, while the second section focuses specifically on the role of corporate governance in both institutional and private investment spheres. The third part of the book explores valuation and risk, including a discussion of current trends in SRI funding in the new European ESG Regulatory Framework. The final section of the book discusses legal and regulatory issues including an exploration of blue finance and its incorporation into EU financial strategy. This edited collection will be of interest to researchers and policymakers working in green finance, sustainability, energy economics and financial law.

Sustainable Real Estate
Sustainable Real Estate

Author: Thomas Walker

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2018-10-11

Total Pages: 462

ISBN-13: 3319945653

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This edited collection broadens the definition of sustainable real estate based on industry trends, research, and the Paris Climate Agreements. Discussions encompass existing and new buildings throughout their life cycle, the financing of their development and operations, and their impact on the surrounding environments and communities. This broader perspective provides a better understanding of the interconnected nature of the environmental, societal, communal, political, and financial issues affecting sustainable real estate, revealing the wide-ranging impact of practitioners' decisions on the sustainable real estate system. Bringing together carefully selected articles from leading global academic and practitioner experts from urban planning, design, construction, and finance, this collection brings to light new opportunities and innovative transdisciplinary solutions to as-yet unresolved problems.

ESG and Real Estate
ESG and Real Estate

Author: Thomas Veith

Publisher: Haufe-Lexware

Published: 2022-05-19

Total Pages: 510

ISBN-13: 3648163493

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This is the first comprehensive practical handbook on the topic of "Environmental Social Governance" (ESG) and its impact on the real estate industry. The sustainability megatrend is still in its early stages in the real estate sector, and there is a lack of standards, practical examples and data. The development is very dynamic and sometimes confusing, and new, complex, requirements and regulations are constantly being added. The authors – an expert team of economists, lawyers, investors, asset managers and engineers – provide an overview of national and European regulatory requirements as well as current market developments. They show what role ESG plays not only in the areas of new construction, renovation and real estate management, but also in investment processes and real estate valuations. Contents: - ESG and the real estate market - ESG and regulatory environment - ESG and real estate management - ESG in urban and project development