Japan’s GPIF joins GRESB as investor member

The Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF) of Japan has real assets sustainability benchmark provider GRESB as an investor member.

GRESB said it has collaborated with the world’s largest pension fund – which manages a $1.4trn (€1.27) global diversified portfolio – to enhance environmental, social and governance (ESG) management practices in the real asset sector.

Sander Paul van Tongeren, co-founder and managing director at GRESB, said: “GRESB is led globally by our institutional investor members and we are excited by GPIF’s commitment to encourage the disclosure of ESG information and promote a constructive dialogue with investment managers.”

Ruben Langbroek, head of Asia Pacific at GRESB, said: “Leading asset owners such as GPIF now require their managers to create long-term value by considering environmental and social impacts in their strategy and day-to-day operations.

“As a result of this weight of institutional capital, we are seeing increased disclosure and action on material ESG issues in the Asian real asset sector.”

Co-founded by Dutch asset managers APG, PGGM and the UK’s Universities Superannuation Scheme in 2009, GRESB currently has over 100 investors, including pension funds and insurance companies, using its data and analytical tools to optimise the risk/return and impact profile of their real asset investments.