ESG Program Development & Staffing Sustainability

ESG Program Development & Staffing Sustainability

Have you ever wondered what an ESG or Sustainability officer does? How do you find the right person with the right skill set? How do you screen and select candidates? Get answers to these questions and more!

 

Join us at BOMA International’s Decarbonization Public Policy Symposium March 14-15 as we discuss ESG Program Development & Staffing Sustainability with:

 

  • Brenna Walraven, President and CEO of Corporate Sustainability Strategies (CSS)
  • Dan Egan, Managing Director, Americas Head of Real Estate ESG at Blackstone
  • Jim Landau, Head of Environmental, Social & Governance at MetLife Investment Management
  • Kim Pexton, Senior Vice President, Sustainability at JBG SMITH

 

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ESG Webinar: 2022 Progress Report and a Look Ahead for 2023

ESG Webinar: 2022 Progress Report and a Look Ahead for 2023

2022 Progress Report and a Look Ahead for 2023

Part of Duane Morris LLP’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Webinar Series

 

About the Program

 

Among nonfinancial criteria, businesses must increasingly consider ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) to stay relevant to their employees, customers, and boards.

 

Beyond making smart business sense, ESG initiatives can help drive efficiency, increase engagement, and involve constituents in critical ecological and social improvements.

 

Increasingly, investors, shareholders, and money managers want to know a company does more than just turn a profit; indeed, having a positive impact on the world at large is often a metric used to gauge the long-term health and viability of a commercial enterprise. Investments in real estate and development are now being evaluated for ESG sustainability by and for players in capital markets.

 

With 2022 behind us, we will review major developments and stories from the past year―as well as share our hopes and predictions for what 2023 might have in store.

 

Panel

 

Location, Date & Time

Online webinar

January 25, 2023

12:00 PM ET

 

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More information about Duane Morris LLP.

Analyzing GRESB Results: A Case Study on a First-Time Submittal

Analyzing GRESB Results: A Case Study on a First-Time Submittal

As the demand for ESG initiatives and reporting from stakeholders continues to rise, mechanisms for quantifying progress are becoming increasingly popular.

The GRESB (formerly known as the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmarking) assessment supports fund managers and asset operators with measuring and benchmarking their ESG performance impact. The Green Building Initiative (GBI) is hosting a 60-minute webinar to promote the widespread adoption of sustainability and ESG in the built environment. Attendees will learn about this standardized, globally recognized framework and how it can improve your investor-manager engagement and compare ESG related policy, programs, and performance against peers. Varia US/Stoneweg US will detail the process for their first GRESB assessment submittal, and how it identifies areas of opportunity for improvement.

 

Learning Objectives

  • Understand that the market drivers for increased interest in ESG & GRESB reporting.
  • Describe how GRESB can be used as a framework to improve transparency and can help identify opportunities for performance improvement.
  • Recall the Varia US/Stoneweg US GRESB performance results and identify the challenges and benefits of preparing for submittal.
  • Recognize that GBI can support stakeholders in improving sustainability, health & wellness, and resilience in the built environment through certification efforts recognized by GRESB.

 

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Institute for Market Transformation Interview Brenna Walraven

Institute for Market Transformation Interview Brenna Walraven

Originally published by Institute for Market Transformation on 10/13/2022

https://www.imt.org/news/partner-spotlight-corporate-sustainability-services/

What are the market opportunities you see that enable you to better serve clients as demand grows for better buildings?

The growing interest in ESG more broadly, to include high-performance, sustainable, healthier, safer, and more resilient buildings allows us to help organizations define for themselves what ESG and better buildings actually look like.  Because companies, communities, portfolios, and buildings are all unique, we see integration of sustainability/ESG best practices as an opportunity to not only create value but also have a meaningful impact environmentally, socially and financially.

How do you utilize and respond to building performance and climate policy in your work?

Mainly we’re helping our client navigate the complexity, particularly given that the level of change has been staggering.  Our clients appreciate our ability to not just provide insights, perspective, and expertise, but also expediency.  We help them move more nimbly, more quickly and yet do so with more confidence to work towards and achieve their goals.

How does collaboration drive your business?

Collaboration is critical.   One thing I love about the sustainability/efficiency/ESG space is that people are more than willing to share knowledge, lessons learned, and best practices – and this collaboration makes all the difference.  It’s the ability to connect with other leaders and partner with other organizations that allows us to scale and better serve our clients – too it’s what makes our work so rewarding and fun!

What industry trends are you most watching now?

Public policy, disclosure framework evolution and regulatory related changes are front and center for us and our clients.  Too, how these changes connect with decarbonization and our clients’ interest in carbon neutrality, has gone from “not interested” three years ago to “completely engaged” now.  The SEC’s proposed rule changes (and even additional rules being considered), the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR), Task Force on Climate Related Financial Disclosure (TCFD)… there are too many to name and for most of our clients, these present challenges with “how to understand and digest” and more importantly understand the right way to address and prepare for these changes.

What is one of the biggest untapped opportunities in your industry when it comes to addressing the climate crisis via buildings?

Better understanding of what climate related physical and transition risks actually are and mean for real estate investors, owners and operators.   It’s one thing to know there are growing risks, and even to have software solutions to assess those risks, but it’s quite another thing to know how to respond to the information and integrate into both business processes, execution, and properties themselves to garner greater resilience.

Decarbonization 2022: Business Case & Steps Towards Carbon Neutrality

Decarbonization 2022: Business Case & Steps Towards Carbon Neutrality

Presented by BOMA Fort Lauderdale & Palm Beaches

 

Session Information

Investors are increasingly asking about it, and large corporate tenants are announcing commitments around carbon neutrality. The conversation is moving past just certifications and efficiency and into actual decarbonization. This presents building owners, operators and building engineers with an opportunity to cost-effectively develop a plan for net zero. Hear Brenna Walraven discuss the market context for the growing interest in ESG and decarbonization, provide high-level definitions for what carbon neutrality means, as well as basic steps and business cases for taking action.

 

Speaker

 

  • Brenna S. Walraven, CEO, Corporate Sustainability Strategies (CSS)

 

When

 

September 21, 2022

11:30 AM – 1:30 PM

 

 

More Information & Registration

 

 

About BOMA

 

Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) Fort Lauderdale & Palm Beaches has 325+ members who own, operate, or service millions of square feet of office, industrial, medical office, retail, and mixed-use properties in Broward, Palm Beach, and Martin Counties. We understand that excellence in management directly impacts the quality and value of a commercial real estate asset.