REITs have significantly expanded their commitment to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices in recent years. According to the REIT ESG Dashboard, almost all of the 100 largest U.S. equity REITs by equity market cap are now reporting their sustainability efforts publicly, with the percentage growing year-over-year.
REITs have traditionally focused on environmental initiatives, and these are continuing with projects like renewable energy generation and efforts to reduce water consumption and waste. Many REITs are also increasing their involvement in the social component of ESG by implementing policies for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) at the employee and board levels, and developing protocols for screening suppliers.
Nareit is partnering with Bloomberg Intelligence to host a free webinar, “REITs and ESG: Challenge and Opportunity,” to explore areas of ESG focus for REITs. Panelists will share the investor perspective on the role of companies’ commitments to ESG in making their portfolio allocations and will look at how a REIT’s commitment to ESG is evaluated.
Panelists include:
- Bradford Stoesser, Global Industry Analyst, Wellington Management Company
- Mona Benisi, Head of Sustainability for Global Real Assets, Morgan Stanley Investment Management
- Revan Arkan, Senior ESG Analyst, Bloomberg L.P.
- Lindsay Dutch, Equity Analyst – REITs, Bloomberg Intelligence (co-moderator)
- Jeffrey Langbaum, Senior Analyst – REITs, Bloomberg Intelligence (co-moderator)
A recording of the webinar will be made available to registrants. Learn more and register for free here.