Urbanity Real Estate Group has presented its first ESG report. The company’s new system for evaluating sustainability data is intended to enable it not only to better monitor and manage its operations but also to meet the requirements of new European legislation. Financial institutions and clients that use manufacturing campuses operated by Urbanity are also starting to require the data.
“At Urbanity, given our focus on sustainable development, we didn’t wait until it was twelve minutes to go, we wanted to get a head start in reporting. In the international environment, ESG criteria are increasingly becoming part of tenders and are being added to commercial contracts in the form of enforceable commitments. They are thus having an increasing influence on the dynamics of business relationships. In commercial real estate, we have seen a boom in recent years in obtaining sustainable building certifications such as BREEAM or LEED. Beyond this, we see ESG as a societal challenge that responds to climate change while opening up a range of opportunities. We are pleased to be one of the leaders in this area in the Czech Republic,” said Roland Hofman, CEO of Urbanity.
The basis for Urbanity’s first ESG report was the development of an ESG strategy, which enabled the introduction of measurable criteria into the operation of the entire real estate group and the setting of milestones for the next period. “Our advantage is that we have integrated ESG principles directly into our long-term business strategy, so the values it brings are not new to us. We build on brownfield sites, sustainably and to a very high technical and architectural standard, we incorporate long-term renewable energy elements into our operations, and we work very closely with local communities,” explains Hofman.
Urbanity’s first ESG report focuses on climate change impacts and mitigation. The data is evaluated, for example, in terms of the energy performance of buildings, including the efficiency of the technologies used. Urbanity also looks at the management of drinking water, rainwater and wastewater, and pays attention to landscape planting, greenery and biodiversity. In the future, the plan is to look more closely at the quantity, composition and durability of materials used, and evolve a waste management system with the aim to reduce waste and increase recycling rates.
Urbanity’s primary focus in developing and managing manufacturing campuses is to build by reclaiming neglected brownfield sites in a way that is environmentally friendly. “In doing so, we also place emphasis on energy self-sufficiency, careful management, and making local jobs that take advantage of global opportunities more attractive. This has a positive impact not only on the operating costs of our clients but also on the development of the surrounding communities of which we are an active part,” explains Hofman.
