Mark White, ESG advisor at Measurabl—a sponsor of Nareit’s ESG JumpStart: 2023 Virtual Class Series— participated in a video interview in conjunction with the event.
White discussed some of the most common misunderstandings about ESG today, one of which is that “it’s a passing fad or it has a motive beyond corporate best practices.” He also noted that the standardization of language around sustainability is “such a crucial aspect of why ESG has been able to gain traction and drive change.”
Meanwhile, White said that the progress of ESG within the real estate sector is the story of data transparency and accountability, “for the better the data, the greater the potential for progress. Quality data that’s easily accessible provides real estate owners and investors the information they need to make more informed decisions.” For this reason, he added, the rapid adoption of ESG in the real estate sector has been primarily investor driven.
Looking ahead, White said the evolving landscape around ESG will bring with it even more recording schemes and disclosure systems, both voluntary and mandatory. “The alphabet soup that is ESG in real estate may get even more complicated and convoluted before it becomes streamlined,” he said.