22 Oct 2025

A high level summary of what's being discussed in recent committee meetings:

  • Impact investing education- an event exploring 'social impact vs social value' will be held on 9 Demember and will be complimented by an educational paper.
  • ESG Metrics in MSCI outputs - the Committee is supporting MSCI in its production of ESG metrics to be included in MSCI products, such as Property Fund Vision and the Index.
  • Retrofitting - at the end of January, the Committee held the first of two events exploring the challenges when retrofitting assets. The second event focussed on solutions will take place on 25 November.
  • Just Transition - a working group is considering how Just Transition can influence the real estate sector. The second of two articles has recently been published. Both articles can be found on the AREF website and the final article will be available in late November.
  • Stranded assets - the Committee, in discussion with AREF's Tax Committee, has requested the addition of zero-rate VAT on the refurbishment of economically stranded assets as part of AREF's Budget recommendations.
  • Roundtable event - took place on 9 July to discuss how to 'rejuvenate the ESG message' with the output shortly to be shared with the AREF membership.
  • SDR guidance - an update of the original guidance is due shortly.
  • Tenant data collection - a working group has been convened to discuss the different approaches to tenant data collection with aim to produce a guidance note on the most appropriate approach.
  • Debt and ESG podcast series - preliminary discussions have taken place debating content for a podcast series on debt and ESG. 
  • Five-year roadmap - a working group has been formed to update the Committee's five-year roadmap, originally created in 2021.
  • Lobbying - the Committee liaise with AREF’s Public Policy Committee on ESG & impact investing policy and legislative changes & AREF monitors and responds where necessary. View our industry consultation responses and other lobbying activity here.

 

Next meeting: Wednesday 10 December


Read News Articles on ESG here

​If you have any event or project ideas or specific concerns regarding ESG that you would like raised at a future meeting, please contact Katie Jowett (by emailing [email protected]).   

View more on the committee here.

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Committee Update ESG

Author

Katie Jowett

Katie Jowett

Fund Manager, La Salle Investment Management

Katie is the Chair of the AREF ESG & Social Impact Investing Committee. 

Katie is a Fund Manager within LaSalle Global Partner Solutions, having joined the team in 2010.  She holds a degree in Architecture from the University of Toronto, a MSc. in Real Estate from CASS Business School and the CFA Society of the UK, Investment Management Certificate. 

As well as being Chair of the AREF ESG & Social Impact Investing Committee, she is also Chair of the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) Advisory Committee and member of the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative Property Working Group.

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