17 May 2022 8.30am – 11am + Add to calendar Joint event Osborne Clarke

The role of Climate Tech in delivering Real Estate's Net Zero

Tuesday 17th May 2022

View the materials from the event, including the recording here. 

The buildings and construction sector accounts for 38% of global energy-related CO2 emissions – totalling about 13.5 GtCO2 in 2019. To keep global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels (in line with the Paris Agreement), all new buildings must operate at net-zero carbon from 2030 and 100% of buildings must operate at net-zero carbon by 2050, according to the World Green Building Council.

In the first in a series of three events throughout 2022 on technological innovation in Real Estate, this seminar explores how climate technology can bring Real Estate into the future ensuring these vital targets are met.

The event will include an interactive panel session with a line of up real estate tech-expert speakers including Abigail Dean of Nuveen; Ruairi Revell of Abrdn; Dr Dennis Schoenmaker of CBRE & Tom Selva of Smart Point

Smart Point were winners of both World PropTech of the year at MIPIM and BuiltWorld Germany and are the world's first automated reception point, for everything, from any online purchase to hundreds of services from local providers. Prioritising local shops and zero-carbon deliveries has awarded Smart Point a place amongst the best 15 technologies against Climate Change voted by the EU, revolutionising thousands of smart buildings across the continent.

We will also be joined by three innovative FinTech firms: Climate X, Cygnetise and Hedgehog. You can find more information about these fintech firms below. 

Speakers:

  • Moderator: Jonathan Mills, Associate Director at Osborne Clarke LLP
  • Panellist: Abigail Dean, Global Head of Strategic Insights at Nuveen Real Estate
  • Panellist: Ruairi Revell, Head of Real Estate ESG at Abrdn
  • Panellist: Dr Dennis Schoenmaker, Executive Director, Principal Economist, Econometric Advisors at CBRE
  • Panellist: Tom Selva, CEO of SmartPoint

Abigail Dean

Global Head of Strategic Insights, Nuveen Real Estate

Abigail Dean is the Global Head of Strategic Insights for Nuveen Real Estate. She is responsible for the organisation’s global research, sustainability and proptech and innovation functions. She oversees Nuveen Real Estate’s Tomorrow’s World Strategy which future proofs the investment strategy in light of global megatrends and integrates ESG across fund and asset management. This strategy ensures that the business delivers on its mission to invest in the urban fabric of Tomorrow’s World for the enduring benefit of our clients and society. Working alongside our Product Development team, Abigail is also responsible for ensuring that new product and the growth of the business are under pinned by solid research and sustainability considerations overseeing the global research team.

Since joining the firm in 2016, Abigail has overseen the organization setting a target to achieve Net Zero Carbon by 2040. Abigail is a member of Nuveen Real Estate’s Investment Committee and has spearheaded the integration of sustainability considerations into the acquisition process. She is also leading the organisation to develop investment guidelines related to physical and transition climate change risk.

She previously worked at JLL, where she led on sustainability for the Property and Asset Management's U.K. team.

 

Jonathan Mills

Associate Director , Osborne Clark LLP

Jonathan is an Associate Director in the real estate department at Osborne Clarke LLP and advises on a variety of property related matters, including investment, development, tech, and energy and utilities. He has a specific focus on the alternative residential market including coliving, student accommodation, Build to Rent / Multifamily and assisted living / care.

On the investment and development side Jonathan acts for banks and institutional funders, as well as insolvency practitioners. This range of experience allows Jonathan to ensure that investment or development transactions meet the requirements of the developer but would also satisfy a funder’s lending criteria. He has been involved in both large and smaller scale acquisition and development projects, across a variety of asset classes. More recently Jonathan has taken a lead role in advising real estate investors and operators in the alternative residential market, in particular in relation to coliving and assisted living products.

Jonathan also advises a wide range of energy clients and have advised developers in connection with their acquisition of sites for the development of solar parks, stand-by generation and wind farms. He also acts for investors and funds in these areas.

Ruairi Revell

Head of Real Estate ESG , abrdn

Ruairi has been at abrdn since 2015, originally as a ESG Manager for Real Assets, and more recently as Head of Real Estate ESG. He specialises in sustainability, Environmental Impact Assessment, Carbon Footprinting and sustainable development. 

He graduated from Leeds University with a degree in Environmental Management (Industrial)

Dennis Schoenmaker

Executive Director, Principal Economist, Econometric Advisors, CBRE

Dennis Schoenmaker, Ph.D., co-leads CBRE’s Econometric Advisors team of economists, data scientists, data engineers, software engineers and account development professionals to provide clients with a wide range of data analysis and thought leadership.

After earning a Ph.D. in real estate economics from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, he began working with the global research team of CBRE in London where he helped the team to translate macro-economic trends into real estate implications. After that, he joined AEW where he worked with key international clients and business colleagues focusing on the European commercial real estate markets. In his role he was also responsible for property market forecasts across the European markets.

Dennis has a keen interest in how quantitative solutions can help create value for investors around the world. He is particularly interested in the effect of climate risk on commercial real estate returns and the role data science can play in improving strategic investment decisions.

Dennis is based in London and passionate about academic research. He is a visiting Lecturer at ESCP Business School, a football (soccer) fanatic, and enjoys spending time with family and friends on holidays.

Tom Selva

CEO, SmartPoint

Tom’s motivated to bring about positive change in our cities, and change the world. Develop a host of technologies with environmental benefits that outpace market demand for less conscious solutions.

Tom Selva is a British educated engineer, having worked at institutions such as the United Nations, and on projects such as the Apple Stores and the world’s first Spaceport.

His work in architectural design and in robotics has merited a MOMA award, and contributed to Q-Bot: the fastest growing robotics firm in the construction sector.

Between 2016 and 2018 he worked in a garage alongside Edward Hamilton, to create the Smart Point. The first technology of its kind, it offers a Single Point of Sale for any Product and Service, and has quickly become the reference for servicing Intelligent Buildings throughout Europe.

Power pitches from fintech firms:

  • Climate X helps organisations in their drive to become more resilient to the impacts of climate change by quantifying, at an asset level, the probability and severity of weather events decades before they happen.
  • Cygnetise helps organisations reduce the risk of contract disputes and signatory fraud, complement e-signature protocols and facilitate business continuity.
  • Hedgehog is enabled by blockchain technology, and makes investments available to individual investors using tokenization.

 

 

 

Date:

Tuesday 17th May 2022

Timings:

08.30 Registration, coffee and networking
09.00 Seminar start
10.15 Seminar end - networking and exhibition stands from the Tech firms
11.00 Finish

Venue:

Osborne Clarke
One London Wall
Barbican
London EC2Y 5EB

Cost:

  • This webinar is FREE and open to all staff from AREF Fund, Affiliate, Associate and Investor member firms (view our list of members here). 
  • Open to trial members* for a fee of £75+VAT (£25+VAT for FutureGen members).  Trial members should email info@aref.org.uk to book.

This event is open to professional investors only. 

To Book:

Members: Our members should click the 'Book Now' button below to register:

 

* Please note this event is for professional investors only and none of the content should be taken as investment advice.