Bouwinvest aims to provide a solid return on real estate investments for institutional investors and their beneficiaries and to do this in a responsible manner. What this means is that we take a long-term view and environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria play a significant role in our investment strategy. We have integrated social, environmental, and/or ethical considerations in our core business strategy and operations to create more value for our stakeholders and generate better risk-adjusted financial returns for our investors. Sustainable and socially responsible investments and business operations play a key role in booking growth in a controlled manner, future-proofing our organisation and real estate investments and is part of the role we want to play in tackling the challenges we all face today and in the future. In other words, we see sustainability as an inherent part of our corporate mission and our license to operate.
Our sustainability mission
Create and sustain stakeholder value through effective integration of material ESG issues that lower risks and future proof our real estate investments, enhance the skills and satisfaction of our employees and contribute to the development of the communities we invest in.
Our strategy to achieve this goal is based on three main pillars:
Long term performance; we want to provide stable returns and improve overall performance
Building value; we want to create added value for all our stakeholders
Sustainable partnerships; we want to develop and maintain sustainable partnerships with our stakeholders
With our Sustainability strategy in place, we can respond to issues such as: investment market changes; shifting consumer demands; legislation and regulation compliance; climate change; minimising the use of natural resources. And we can do all this while still creating value for our stakeholders.
Long-term performance
In line with Bouwinvest's CSR pillars, the Retail Fund’s sustainability strategy is focused on increasing the sustainability performance and attractiveness of its retail assets. Not only does this boost the long-term performance of the Retail Fund's assets, it also increases the total value of the Fund’s property portfolio and creates financial and social value for all the Fund’s stakeholders.
Building value
The Fund considers investments in sustainability from a business perspective. Energy-efficiency measures improve the competitive position of the Fund’s retail properties and add value for our stakeholders, both investors and tenants. However, the Fund’s sustainability strategy extends beyond energy use to the social aspects of sustainability, such as investments to upgrade local public amenities and facilities, helping to create a pleasant environment where people can shop and meet.
We build value by addressing those issues that are important and relevant to our stakeholders, both tenants (such as comfort, energy use, materials and indoor climate) and investors (such as risk, returns, governance, stability and transparency). We engage them in constructive dialogues.
Scope | Tool | Targets |
Fund | GRESB | Outperformance of the benchmark and retain Green Star rating |
Asset | EPC labels | Generate insight into current performance and reduce operational costs, improve the quality of assets |
Tenants | DUO label, Green Leases | Increase sustainability awareness among tenants, with a focus on energy use; cooperation with tenants: education and awareness |
Property managers | Contracts and meetings | Active cooperation to achieve CSR targets |