CEE-based media and event platform Property Forum has launched a news portal, green-forum.eu, publishing stories on the topic of ESG with a geographical focus on Central and Eastern Europe. Designed to bring you the latest news and information from around the region in real-time, Green Forum’s goal is to provide its readers with the most accurate, up-to-date and unbiased news possible.

Property developer Speedwell says it will be installing photovoltaic panels on two of its office projects in Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca in a bid to make its building more sustainable. 

Developer Garbe Industrial Real Estate CEE has completed the construction of the first building of its industrial park in Piešťany, Slovakia. The new development is in line with the company’s sustainable philosophy and the hall's roof features photovoltaic panels, which will be the primary renewable energy source.

As the European Union has proposed the move towards zero-emission buildings by 2030, a significant portion of the energy consumption of these projects should be covered by energy from renewable sources. This includes renewable energy produced on-site or nearby so property companies are starting to invest in such facilities in a bid to lower operating costs and meet targets under their ESG agendas. The investments in such capacities have been boosted by the high energy price environment and the need of property companies to enhance the security of power supplies.

The Czech real estate market in 2023 will be driven mainly by inflation, which will also determine this year´s ten real estate market trends. Among them will be high construction costs, pressure for ESG compliance and looking for a balance between savings, spending a responsible investing, says Colliers in its real estate market prediction for this year.

Stefan de Goeij has rejoined CTP as ESG and Energy Lead, after a two-year break, reporting directly to the company’s founder and CEO Remon Vos.

Some players in the Hungarian commercial property sector have made significant steps to transform the industry, but the majority have failed to do so. Property Forum asked Zsombor Barta, President of the Hungary Green Building Council (HuGBC) about the way the entire industry should act to reach net zero as adopted by the European Union.

Some developers forecast that sales prices will increase in the future purely as a result of the zero-emission requirements currently being placed on buildings but there is no consensus as to what the ultimate effect will be. Robert David, Partner and Tomáš Kren, Senior Associate at Wolf Theiss’ Prague office talked to Property Forum about the increasingly important role ESG compliance plays in real estate transactions and potential regulatory changes that can affect the market.

Negotiators of the Council and the European Parliament reached an agreement aimed at taxing imports based on the greenhouse gas emissions needed to make the products, which would extensively cover the imports of construction materials. 

DHL Supply Chain has developed a carbon-neutral real estate portfolio of 400,000 sqm to support customers' growth requirements across six European Tier 1 markets.