While the level of environmental, social and governance (ESG) integration into institutional real estate investment platforms has increased considerably during the past decade, the need — and appetite — for further evolution persists. At this juncture in the ESG lifecycle, the key to maintaining momentum is identifying and implementing standards to assess and manage progress. As fund managers and investors engage in more robust investment activity across the ESG spectrum, the ability to track measurable progress becomes more complex. Avoiding problematic investment sectors through a negative screen is a cut-and-dried process; measuring actual impact becomes far more intricate. However, we believe there are tools available that, when applied to the effort, will catalyze the next level of ESG integration: the establishment of real estate portfolios that meaningfully reflect a recognized global impact standard.

Global ESG investing — at the tipping point