KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Private markets are experiencing an uptick in the integration of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors, and Real Estate stands out both in volume and quality of opportunities.
• There is no single standard that can be applied across different regions, requirements or policies to guide investors in the implementation of ESG integration practices in direct Real Estate.
• Key trending ESG parameters include climate impact; compliance with regulatory bodies (national and global); impact on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); energy conservation; and occupant health and wellness.
• There is an increasing overlap between the requirements of regulatory bodies and building certification systems, as each attempt to ensure a holistic ESG performance.
• Investors are paying closer attention to the physical risks for real assets within their portfolios, as the global impacts of climate change begin to be felt.
• A typology of ESG strategies suggests that plain vanilla approaches are rare, with a substantial overlap between the motivation behind different approaches.