Global Real Estate – Switzerland receives Green Star Awards

The Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) is a global sustainability platform that focuses on real estate. It evaluates and compares the performance of real estate investment vehicles based on environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria. GRESB assesses the energy and resource efficiency of participants, as well their sustainability strategies and associated monitoring measures. 

This year, three real estate vehicles of Global Real Estate – Switzerland (GRE-CH) took part in the GRESB assessment. UBS (CH) Property Fund – Direct Residential (UBS DR) and UBS (CH) Property Fund Direct Urban (UBS DU) participated for the first time, while UBS Anlagestiftung Kommerzielle Immobilien Schweiz (UBS AST KIS) took part for the second time. All three real estate vehicles were awarded a green star for their performances based on sustainability indicators. The UBS Direct Residential fund even outshone all of its peers in the Residential/Listed/Europe category and was bestowed with the title of Sector Leader by the GRESB.

Urs Fäs, Head of Investment Products at GRE-CH, is thrilled with the awards: “The results of this year’s GRESB assessment come not only as a reward for the performance of the three participating real estate funds UBS DR, UBS DU and UBS AST KIS, but also as a validation of our sustainability strategy, which was defined four years ago and has since been progressively implemented. We feel encouraged to continue on our chosen path and work towards further optimising our combination of ecological, social and economic aspects in a client-focused and market-oriented way.”

The sustainability strategy of GRE-CH takes into account ecological, economic and social factors. Among other things, this means that striving to achieve ecological goals must not preclude the attainment of (minimum) economic requirements. Our understanding of sustainability is based on the idea that investment in energy optimisation must be profitable in the medium to long term; for example, through additional revenues and/or cost reductions.

Sustainability is key within the real estate sector and will become increasingly important due to factors such as climate change. How seriously the real estate industry is taking this subject is clear from the staggering 733 investment vehicles participating in this year’s GRESB assessment. By taking appropriate measures, the real estate sector could contribute a great deal towards reducing the depletion of resources and promoting sustainable development.

Awards