The property investment industry is playing an ever more prominent role in people’s lives in many ways. 

Property has always played an important part in investment portfolios, historically as a diversifier against equities and bonds, but in recent years its role as a provider of income in a low-interest-rate, low-bond-yield world has come to the fore.  As a major consumer of energy and emitter of carbon dioxide, property has a prominent role to play in combating climate change.

REAL ESTATE

Property is responsible for around 40% of UK carbon emissions and creates the environment in which we live, work and play.  Property funds therefore have a crucial role to play in the ESG agenda.

Environmental:

Through initiatives such as GRESB, which AREF supports, real estate is in a leading position among investment asset classes with regard to measuring and managing environmental impact.  AREF will be working with GRESB, members and other partners to consolidate our industry’s position as a leader in this field.

Social:

Property has a profound effect on people’s lives through architecture, the design of buildings and public spaces, and the training and development of its own employees.  This is likely to become even more important during the “build back better” phase of the recovery from COVID-19, particularly in High Streets and town centres. 

Governance:

AREF is a leader in fund governance and transparency through its Code of Practice (Code).  We are working on refining the Code and making it more principles and outcome-based rather than rules-based.

 

Click to read more on how property funds play a crucial role in the ESG agenda...

With reduced access to mortgage finance and home ownership since the Global Financial Crisis, and with the consequent growth in long term renting and the expansion of the PRS sector in the UK, customers of property fund managers are no longer just companies.  An increasing number are individuals and families living in their long term homes.  

As technology changes the way that real estate is used, be it homeworking affecting the amount and layout of office space used, or on-line shopping radically changing the high street, the industry is instrumental in reshaping these parts of our built environment. 

For these and other reasons investors are increasingly scrutinising the social and environmental impact of investments independently of their financial performance.  Indeed this can be a deciding factor in an investment choice.  AREF and its members have been actively involved in these issues for a long time. 

ESG News:

08 Mar 2024

Basel Committee - Disclosure of climate-related financial risks

29 Feb 2024

2023 AREF GRESB Performance

08 Feb 2024

Property Week Article: Q&A: AREF’s Paul Richards on ‘fair’ and ‘clear’ greenwashing rules

02 Feb 2024

FCA – Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDR) and investment labels

26 Jan 2024

FCA - Guidance on the Anti-Greenwashing rule

19 Jan 2024

Post-event Recording / Podcast / Slides: Webinar: How SDR applies to Real Estate

18 Jan 2024

ESG & Impact Investing Committee - Update

12 Jan 2024

ESG Metrics for Real Estate

12 Jan 2024

Sustainable finance and climate change disclosures

29 Dec 2023

Transition Plan Taskforce

15 Dec 2023

Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR)

14 Dec 2023

ESG Ratings and Data Providers

16 Nov 2023

Sustainable Value: ESG Risks in Commercial Real Estate Lending

Member only content
19 Oct 2023

Guidance Advice: Application of SFDR Process for Real Estate Funds

Member only content
13 Oct 2023

Post-event Recording: Webinar: Completing the SFDR Process

09 Oct 2023

ESG & Impact Investing Guidelines for AREF Members

16 Jun 2023

Watch the recording / listen to the podcast - Webinar: Sustainable Value

15 Jun 2023

Watch the Recording / Listen to the Podcast / Read the Write-up - Scope 3: Tenant Emissions Management Strategy for Real Estate Funds

22 May 2023

Watch the recording: Investor Webinar: How should Indirect Real Estate Investors manage ESG challenges?

18 May 2023

The IA’s Path to Net Zero bulletin

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ESG & Impact Investing Committee

The AREF ESG & Impact Investing Committee aims to work with AREF members to promote and raise awareness of ESG & impact investing best practice across the real estate fund management sector. 

Past ESG Event Materials

19 Jan 2024

Post-event Recording / Podcast / Slides: Webinar: How SDR applies to Real Estate

Member only content
13 Oct 2023

Post-event Recording: Webinar: Completing the SFDR Process

16 Jun 2023

Watch the recording / listen to the podcast - Webinar: Sustainable Value

15 Jun 2023

Watch the Recording / Listen to the Podcast / Read the Write-up - Scope 3: Tenant Emissions Management Strategy for Real Estate Funds

22 May 2023

Watch the recording: Investor Webinar: How should Indirect Real Estate Investors manage ESG challenges?

01 Dec 2022

Event Write-up - Diversity, Equality & Inclusion in Real Estate Investment Management: Effecting long-term change

25 Nov 2022

Post-event materials: How will SDR affect Real Estate?

01 Jun 2022

Post-event materials: The role of Climate Tech in delivering Real Estate's Net Zero - Tuesday 17th May 2022

23 Nov 2021

Post-event materials: TCFD webinar: enhancing climate-related disclosures

18 Oct 2021

Post-event materials - CRREM Analysis Roundtable for AREF Members - 18th October 2021

Member only content
01 Sep 2021

Post-event materials - Webinar: FCA CP21/17 Enhancing climate-related disclosures - 1st September 2021

28 Apr 2021

Post-event materials - AREF Property Investors' Voice - April 2021

30 Nov 2020

Net Zero: from Ambition to Reality - Webinar Summary

25 Nov 2020

The AREF Sustainability Series

Member only content
25 Nov 2020

Recording: AREF Sustainability Series - Event 1 - Net Zero Real Assets: from Ambition to Reality

Member only content
24 Sep 2020

Post-event materials - Social Impact Investment and the risk premium for Real Estate? - 24th September 2020

22 Sep 2020

Event Summary - Wellness in the Living Space - 22nd September 2020

Member only content
22 Sep 2020

Post-event materials - Wellness in the Living Space - 22nd September 2020

Member only content
16 Jul 2020

Post-event materials: Member Discussion on Industry Consultation ‘ESA’s ESG Disclosure'

02 Jun 2020

Watch: Social Impact Investing - Joint event from AREF & IPF - 2nd June 2020

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16 Nov 2023

Sustainable Value: ESG Risks in Commercial Real Estate Lending

This new report considers common approaches to sustainability and environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks in real estate valuations for commercial lending.

24 Apr 2023

Sustainable Value: a common approach to the commercial benefits of sustainability in UK commercial real estate

This report discusses some common sustainability features in UK commercial property and how they relate to property value.

13 Jul 2021

GRESB

View how AREF Fund Members performed in the GRESB Real Estate Assessment in 2019 and 2020

16 Sep 2021

Net Zero Carbon

Watch the 10 minute podcast. LISTEN to ESG experts, LEARN how you'll be affected, WHY you should care and importantly, HOW TO PREPARE!

27 Oct 2022

BBP - ESG Training Course for Real Estate Professionals & BBP Climate Commitment

25 Aug 2021

TCFD (Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures)

Watch the 10 minute podcast. LISTEN to ESG experts, LEARN how you'll be affected, WHY you should care and importantly, HOW TO PREPARE!

03 Sep 2021

SFDR & EU Taxonomy

Watch the 10 minute podcast. LISTEN to ESG experts, LEARN how you'll be affected, WHY you should care and importantly, HOW TO PREPARE!

16 Nov 2021

MEEs & EPCs

Watch the 10 minute podcast. LISTEN to ESG experts, LEARN how you'll be affected, WHY you should care and importantly, HOW TO PREPARE!

The AREF ESG 5 Year Roadmap

 

Featuring six exclusive short films on:

SFDR & EU Taxonomy
TCFD
Net Zero Carbon
MEES & EPCs
Impact
Scope 3 Emissions

Listen to ESG industry experts explain what each theme is, when you'll be affected, why you should care and importantly how to prepare!

 

 

Proudly sponsored by Sanne Group
In collaboration with Carbon Intelligence.

 

Related Links:
 

News Articles relating to ESG & Social Impact

Click to read news articles and resources relating to ESG

Past ESG Events

Click to view post-event materials from our past ESG events, organised by our ESG & Impact Investing Committee

ESG & Impact Investing Committee biographies

Our committee is made up of ESG industry experts, read full details here.

ESG & Impact Investing Committee - Committee Activity

Read what our ESG & II Committee have been working on recently.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Diversity, equity and inclusion is important to AREF and is one of our strategic priorities. Click to read more information on what we are doing.

 

For any queries relating to this, please do not hesitate to contact us by emailing info@aref.org.uk.