According to Walter Herz, office buildings that have solutions to limit the negative impact on the environment and reduce operating costs, at the same time provide a friendlier, safer and better organized work space. What do they offer?

CEE is a competitive market based on the number of certified buildings, but companies need to accelerate carbon reduction projects, noted speakers in the ESG strategies panel of CEE Property Forum 2021, Property Forum’s first real-life event back in Vienna since 2019 which was attended by over 400 people coming from countries all over the region and beyond.

Colliers today released "Elevate the Built Environment", its new strategic framework designed to embed environment, social, and governance (ESG) best practices across the organization.

CTP successfully completed another green bond issuance, structured as a dual tranche. CTP raised a total of €1 billion under its recently increased €8 billion EMTN program. The issue included a €500 million five-year tranche, a €500 million ten-year tranche and a concurrent €150 million capped tender offer on the €650 million senior notes due October 2025. Total demand for the issue was around €3.5 billion and the tender offer well exceeded the targeted amount, evidencing and further supporting the solid standing that CTP holds amongst international bond investors less than one year after first entering the market.

Real estate investors and developers across Europe are increasingly turning towards green bonds to help build portfolios of sustainable assets that accommodate a lower consumption of resources in the long term and have a limited impact on the environment. This trend is also clearly visible in the Central and Eastern European region, where a growing number of high-profile companies are choosing to finance their expansion plans with the help of green bonds.

Panattoni has become the first developer in the sector to introduce BREEAM certification at the ‘Excellent’ level as the standard for all its new facilities. To date, Panattoni has built 5,7 million sqm of space that has qualified for green certificates and tops the rankings for sustainable industrial construction. This includes the first BREEAM ‘Excellent’ certificate in the Polish industrial sector – for Panattoni Park Sosnowiec I – to add to having developed the most sustainable industrial building in Europe: Panattoni Park Cheb in the Czech Republic, which has an ‘Outstanding’ rating.

Heimstaden Bostad has set new sustainability targets and will invest nearly €500 million (SEK 5 billion) to reduce the company’s greenhouse gas emissions by at least 46% by 2030, in line with the Paris Agreement ambition to limit global warming to 1.5°C.

Marius Persenea, Chief Operating Officer of Romanian real estate developer IULIUS talked to Property Forum about financing, sustainable development and future plans for different market segments.

Romania's Impact Developer & Contractor will increase its share capital within one year in a bid to support its pipeline of residential projects in Romania.

Hungary-based Alfa Group plans to raise approximately HUF 10 billion in its first Green Bond issue scheduled for October 2021. Ohad Epschtein, Managing Partner of Alfa Group International talked to Property Forum about the importance of sustainability and he also shared some details about the company’s expansion strategy.