Sustainability alliance launches benchmarking report

The International Sustainability Alliance (ISA), grouping real estate investors, developers and asset managers, has launched its first benchmarking report at Expo Real in Munich.

The ISA Benchmarking Report comprises an analysis of environmental performance based on data submitted by participating real estate organisations. The report focuses on office and retail assets across five countries: Portugal, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.

ISA secretary general John Pike stressed that the report's focus will widen in future. 'This [sample size] is a reflection of our current membership, both in terms of the sectors in which they're involved and the countries in which they are active. But as we increase membership, and collect more data, we will be expanding into other countries and other sectors,’ he said.

Environmental performance is analysed within the report according to three key performance indicators (KPIs) that measure the intensity of energy, water and CO2 emissions of each building under scrutiny.

Some ISA members, such as Dutch property firm Redevco, have been measuring environmental data for years, while for others it is the first time they have gathered this kind of data. ‘For some of our members this is an exercise in learning what they don't know,’ Pike said.

The organisation claims the benchmarking initiative marks the first meaningful attempt to publish sustainability metrics for real estate. Pike suggests the biggest benefit it offers members is the ability to measure their environmental performance against that of their peers. ‘But they can also compare the performance of different properties in their own portfolio, and identify the properties that need the most work.’

The report will be published on an annual basis. Founding members of the organisation include EDF, Standard Chartered, Aberdeen Asset Management, Redevco and brewer Heineken.

You can read the full ISA Benchmarking Report 2011 at: www.internationalsustainabilityalliance.org