Lifting the lid on the “S” of ESG: how to build sustainable communities

Real estate investment managers have a responsibility to build sustainable communities. They are the ones to invest in and create homes, workspaces and leisure facilities for countless people. Sometimes we overlook the social pillar of “ESG” – the “S” – on the journey to net zero. Growing pressure to deliver on the environmental targets of the 2050 Paris accord mean the “E” of ESG has often taken centre stage However, loneliness, social inequality, poor access to education / healthcare and lacking diversity, are increasingly important topics for governments and urban planners as they seek to mitigate the economic impact of Covid-19. So, what role can real estate investment houses play in making a positive contribution in solving these challenges? And how do their clients benefit? PATRIZIA has residential real estate in its DNA and has been building communities and sustainable futures since its foundation in 1984. In what promises to be a thought provoking discussion, Mathieu Elshout, Head of Sustainability and Impact Investing, and his PATRIZIA colleague, Marleen Bikker-Bekkers, Head of Investments Europe, PGP, who is working on new impact investment products, are joined by Sarah Forster, CEO and Co-Founder of the Good Economy Partnership. Sarah is a leading expert in sustainable economic development with a particular interest in social enterprise, impact measurement and management. The panel will address key industry trends in the social impact investing space, consider real life best practice examples and of course address the holy grail of measuring social impact. The webcast will give valuable insights and will include the following topics: – What is the relevance of social impact for real estate? – What examples or case studies of social impact in real estate are there? – Why social impact investing must be measurable and how? – What returns can social impact investors realistically expect and over what timelines?