ESG considerations play an increasingly important role in investment, financing and location decisions across the real estate industry. Four Colliers experts talked to Property Forum to discuss the role of sustainability in the post-COVID-19 world.

CTP raised €500 million with their third green bond issue on 18 February 2021, increasing the total raised from Green Bonds to €1.55 billion since their inaugural issuance in September 2020.

Panattoni has summarised its activities in the field of sustainable development. In 2020 alone, the company obtained green certificates for 2.6 million sqm of its developments as well as a BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ rating for one park with a score that makes it the greenest industrial building in the world. Panattoni’s portfolio also includes facilities with BREEAM ‘Excellent’ and ‘Very Good’ certificates as well as DGNB at the ‘Gold’ level. The developer is now taking its latest steps in this area, including introducing energy from renewable sources (RES) to its buildings and upgrading them to BREEAM certification at the ‘Excellent’ level.

The topic of sustainability has become one of the most important megatrends of our time. Sustainable construction is also becoming increasingly important in the hotel real estate market, leading to an increase in demand for corresponding certificates in Austria, according to Christie & Co.

Twin City Tower, an office building in Bratislava developed by HB Reavis and sold to a South Korean investor in 2019, has been awarded a WELL Core & Shell Certification at the Gold level and it’s the third-largest building in Europe to reach the standard.

Atrium European Real Estate Limited has priced a €300 million inaugural green bond offering due 5 September 2027 under its EMTN Programme. The New Green Notes are issued by Atrium Finance Issuer B.V. and are guaranteed by Atrium. An amount equal to the net proceeds of the offering will be allocated to finance or refinance eligible projects and assets.

CTP has completed the certification of its industrial real estate portfolio in Central and Eastern Europe. In total, 292 CTP buildings at around a hundred different locations in six countries have confirmed their BREEAM In-Use status at the Very Good level or higher. A number of properties have reached the Excellent level. This ranks the company as the greenest developer of industrial real estate in CEE.

NEPI Rockcastle is increasing the sustainability targets for the following decade and aims to become carbon neutral by 2030. The Group’s initiative meets the EU’s efforts to combat climate change through carbon neutrality. BuildGreen, advisor in the field of sustainable development in Central and Eastern Europe, will provide NEPI Rockcastle carbon-neutral audit and sustainability strategy, to meet the Group’s target and support the line created within the realms of the Paris Agreement.

BNP Paribas Real Estate Investment Management (BNP Paribas REIM) has successfully launched the first property fund that sets out to be compliant with the 2015 Paris Agreement, a landmark agreement that brought nations together to combat climate change and to accelerate and intensify the actions and investments needed for a sustainable low carbon future. 

Warburg-HIH Invest Real Estate GmbH has kicked off the process of converting its European real estate portfolio to green energy. The Hamburg-based investment manager successfully implemented the new energy supply for the LEED Platinum-certified White House office building in the Hungarian capital of Budapest in partnership with operating costs expert Westbridge International AG. The move will cut the building’s carbon emissions by just under 2,700 tonnes within the next three years. The fully let building is part of an open-ended special alternative investment fund (AIF) managed by Warburg-HIH Invest.