GCX’s Post

The SA REIT Association in partnership with Nedbank Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB) and published by Asset magazine have launched the SAREIT Sustainability Disclosure Guide, aimed at establishing sustainability standards and best practice benchmarks for the real estate sector in South Africa.   This guide is a valuable resource for SA REIT members and property organisations starting their sustainability reporting. It provides key information to improve their reports and outlines a framework of recommendations for sustainability and climate-related disclosures, aligning with international standards in the South African property sector and the global sustainability landscape. Joanne Solomon, Chief Executive Officer of SA REIT Association commented: “As industry partners, we are proud to launch the inaugural SA REIT Sustainability Disclosure Guide, marking a significant advancement in fostering a unified approach to sustainability within the South African real estate sector.   The property sector plays a crucial role in tackling environmental, social, and governance (ESG) challenges. Our goal is to guide the industry toward a future where sustainable practices are seamlessly integrated into business strategies, enhancing both resilience and value.”   Gary Garrett, Managing Executive of Property Finance: Nedbank CIB commented:   “As a purpose led organisation, we aspire to be a key participant in promoting a more sustainable future for the real estate sector. We are intentional about sustainability and about contributing positively to the communities in which we operate.”   Download the SAREIT Sustainability Disclosure Guide here -https://lnkd.in/gbEMiJ5W

On 14 March 2024, the Government of South Australia issued its first new sustainability bond with the launch of an inaugural $2 billion bond by the South Australian Government Financing Authority (SAFA). The five-year, fixed rate sustainability bond was issued under SAFA’s Sustainability Bond Framework which was released on 30 November 2023, and has a maturity date of May 2029. The Sustainability Bond Framework has been developed to align with standards established by the International Capital Markets Association including the “Green Bond Principles”, “Social Bond Principles” and “Sustainability Bond Guidelines”. Sustainability Bonds cover financing of both green and social infrastructure and programs. There was a diverse investor base for the inaugural Bond and the issue was managed by Citi and Westpac Institutional Bank as Joint Lead Managers. For more information: https://lnkd.in/g94VPM2w #SustainabilityBonds #GreenBonds #SustainableFinance #SDG #SouthAustralia #Finance Anthony Coates Peter Gerard King Leanne Vallelonga Don Munro

It is high time to have sustainability guidance tailored to the real estate sector in South Africa. Well done for publishing this first guidance.

SA REIT Association and Nedbank Corporate and Investment Banking have launched a sustainability and best practices guide for REITs: https://bit.ly/4epYEYp #reit #sustainability #industryinsights #industrybenchmarking #ESG #JSE #shareholders #listedcompanies #propertyfund #assetmanagement #realestatenews #commercialrealestate #propertyowners #landlords #realestateinvestment

“Today FTSE Russell … rebalanced its Green REIT index based on Measurabl data. Already over $9B of investor capital tracks the index and it's poised for significant growth, with a total of $404 billion tracked across the FTSE Russell Real Assets Index. Here's what the move to actual, timely, asset-level ESG performance data means for real estate markets broadly, and how to use sustainability to position your REIT for success in attracting capital.” https://ow.ly/7qQe50TAGIa

SA REIT Association and Nedbank Corporate and Investment Banking have launched a sustainability and best practices guide for REITs: https://bit.ly/4epYEYp #reit #sustainability #industryinsights #industrybenchmarking #ESG #JSE #shareholders #listedcompanies #propertyfund #assetmanagement #realestatenews #commercialrealestate #propertyowners #landlords #realestateinvestment

Qualitas advocates for ESG improvements: https://lnkd.in/eiB6hjcS cc Andrew Schwartz #btrnewsau #btr #buildtorent #esg #carbonfootprint #sustainability #sustainablebuildings #insights #residential #builtenvironment #btraustralia #buildtorentaustralia

Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) refers to a trio of business measures used by socially conscious investors to identify and quantify the measures of a company’s sustainability and societal impact, using metrics that matter to investors. The term ESG first came to prominence in a 2004 report titled "Who Cares Wins", which was a joint initiative of financial institutions at the invitation of the United Nations (UN). By 2021, the ESG movement has grown from a UN corporate social responsibility initiative into a global phenomenon representing more than US$30 trillion in assets under management. Environmental criteria consider how a company performs as a caretaker of nature. Social criteria inspect the management of relationships with employees, customers, suppliers etc. Governance handles leadership, executive pay, audits, internal controls, and shareholder rights. The stated goals of the EU Sustainable Finance Action Plan are the realignment of capital flows toward sustainable investments, the inclusion of sustainability in risk management as well as the promotion of transparency and longevity. Sustainability is rapidly gaining importance in society and increasing awareness for issues such as climate change, social inequality or corporate misconduct and is changing the market environment rapidly. The new BRSR framework is introduced by SEBI circular dated May 10, 2021, which attempts to form a connection between the financial performance an entity with its ESG performance enabling the stakeholders including regulators, investors to assess and evaluate the business stability, growth and sustainability on ecological and social performance parameters in addition to financial parameters. ESG issues are important to business unit that aim at sustainability and future collaborators who not only need to see the financial aspect but are also assess how a company is ethically run, how it serves the society and impacts the environment. These factors cumulatively determine the target company’s overall performance, thus, becoming critical for risk and compliance managers. ESG with its measurable value has a transforming impact and makes actual change whether operational, functional, cultural and ethical actions happen as per the needs of environment, society and community. The opportunities available for the Banks under ESG Framework are listed below; ➢ Renewable Energy Financing, Infrastructure financing, Sustainability-linked corporate loans ➢ Sustainable Transportation including development of EV charging infrastructure ➢ Green mortgages (for buying energy efficient homes) / Green retail loans ➢ Green commercial real estate portfolio ➢ Water and Waste Management ➢ Lending to most affected sectors ➢ Green Deposits Activities Approved by RBI for Deployment of Green Deposits: Renewable Energy , Clean Transportations , Green Buildings, Pollution prevention & Control and Energy Efficiency.

Investable businesses increasingly have to demonstrate their ESG credentials. The latest edition of ICAEW’s Corporate Financier magazine looks at whether firms are delivering on their green commitments and if ESG improves performance. Our Managing Director of Sales & Origination for Commercial Finance, Jeremy Harrison contributed to the article by highlighting how at ABN AMRO, we want to see an improvement in organisations’ commitment to sustainability. To do so, we work together with our clients to support their transition to sustainability and embracing sustainability KPIs in lending decisions plays a crucial role in this. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eJXsssXi   #ESG #Sustainability #ABNAMRO

🌱 Exciting News Alert! 🌍 Deutsche Bank has just unveiled its latest milestone in sustainable finance with the release of a brand new Sustainable Finance Framework! This comprehensive framework outlines the methodologies and procedures utilized by the bank to classify transactions and financial products as "sustainable," with a strong focus on environmental and social criteria and categories. This marks the second sustainable finance framework introduced by Deutsche Bank, building upon the foundation laid by its initial framework launched in July 2020. This comes in line with the bank's commitment to bolster its sustainable financing and ESG investments, with a target to surpass €200 billion by the end of 2025. Since its initial commitment, Deutsche Bank has consistently raised the bar, now aiming for a staggering €500 billion in sustainable financing and investment volumes between 2020 and 2025. This announcement underscores Deutsche Bank's steadfast dedication to sustainability and responsible finance, setting a new standard for the industry. #Sustainability #Finance #ESG #DeutscheBank #SustainableFinanceFramework #Leadership #ImpactInvesting #AmarnaVida https://lnkd.in/ghTVqr4j