The recovery from the COVID-19 crisis will place a greater onus on real asset impact investing as capital allocators look for consistent returns that serve “the most fundamental needs of society”.

In a white paper on the subject, CBRE Global Investors argues that the response to the current pandemic is transforming how people use and occupy real estate. At the same time, it has coincided with a “pivotal moment” in public discourse around “systemic inequalities, injustice in society and fears of irreversible climate change”. This combination, it says, is driving significant demand for solutions that can deliver resilient long-term risk-adjusted returns. It adds that the “age-old” investor perception that investors have to sacrifice returns in order to pursue ESG-focused investments has now been dispelled. This is particularly evident in sectors such as affordable housing, where investors can rely on predictable, steady returns. Furthermore, such strategies are