At our Future of Real Estate 2025 conference in Warsaw, a panel of sustainability leaders delivered a compelling message: profitability and environmental responsibility are no longer at odds in real estate. The discussion explored how developers, retailers, and certification experts are navigating the practical realities of green building implementation, from setting decarbonisation targets to overcoming retrofit challenges and engaging tenants. The session highlighted that success hinges on scaling up data-driven interventions, fostering collaboration, and adapting to a rapidly evolving regulatory landscape.

Property Forum’s recent Bucharest Business Forum 2025 highlighted a critical shift in how companies approach Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategies, with industry leaders emphasising that sustainability is no longer an optional checkbox but a fundamental business imperative.

Industrial developer HelloParks has announced that all of its warehouse buildings in Hungary comply with the stringent requirements of the EU Taxonomy, making it the sole recipient of this recognition in the country to date.

The European Commission’s recent pause on reporting obligations for the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is consequential for real estate investors’ Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) compliance. Without the CSRD requirement, funders’ ability to collect asset data for SFDR disclosure becomes more difficult. Yet because real estate developers and portfolio managers have a profit-driven imperative to measure and maximise operational efficiencies, they are well positioned to meet investors’ data requirements. Particularly to secure financing for “dark green” or “light green” retail funds, as defined by the SFDR, real estate firms must continue complying with financer mandates. Jaroslav (Jaro) Mida of MINT group discusses why operating measurably high-efficiency real estate is the pragmatic choice for funders, developers and the environment in an article prepared for Property Forum by Lisa Chase (Lucky Fish Research & Communications).

iO Partners and Walvius Partners have announced an exclusive cooperation agreement to introduce asset & portfolio sustainability services. 

The GBCI Europe Circle conference was established to provide the LEED community in Europe with a space for professional and social exchange. The next edition is scheduled to take place in Prague from May 14-16 and Property Forum is proud to be joining the event as Media Partner. More about the event’s significance and program has been shared by Kay Killman, Managing Director of GBCI Europe, Vessela Valtcheva-McGee, Director Market Development EE and Simona Kalvoda, Executive Director of the Czech Green Building Council (CZGBC).

The Ghelamco-owned VIBE office building, located in the center of Warsaw, has received DGNB New Buildings International 2020 Gold certificate. This is the first office building in Poland to have such certification.

In January 5 years have passed since the European Parliament approved the Green Deal. The construction industry is accountable for 39% of global carbon dioxide emissions. The pressure to reduce emissions from clients, banks and legislation is only increasing, comments Jakub Škaloud, Project Manager and Head of the Building Differently team at VCES, one of the general contractors of Czech buildings.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has approved its real estate sector strategy for the 2025-2029 period that focuses on green and inclusive growth leveraging megatrends like digitalisation and innovation. 

Sorin Preda, CEO and Founder of Global Vision, talked to Property Forum about the company’s ongoing developments in Romania, shared his market outlook for 2025 and provided insight into the company’s investments into sustainability and technology.