Sunny Misser, CEO of AccountAbility, joined REIT.com for a video interview at NAREIT’s 2016 Leader in the Light Working Forum at the Ritz Carlton – Coconut Grove in Miami.
Founded in 1995 and with offices in London, New York, Zurich, Dubai and Riyadh, AccountAbility is a research standards and advisory services organization that focuses exclusively on sustainability.
Misser explained that AccountAbility operates as an objective advisor that provides practical solutions to solving complex multidimensional problems for global clients.
The work focuses on three underlying principles -- materiality, inclusivity and responsiveness. “These were coined by AccountAbility before they became a buzzword,” Misser observed.
Materiality means that decision-makers need to be well-informed about issues that matter and understand their impact on organizations, according to Misser. Inclusivity is allowing people to have a say on issues that impact them, and responsiveness is the ability to react in a timely manner to material issues, he explained.
Misser outlined AccountAbility’s work on behalf of NAREIT to provide practical guidance to member REITs in terms of how to adopt sustainability practices and improve business performance.
Through an extensive consultation process that included surveys, conversations with more than 80 REITs, case studies, independent research and workshops, AccountAbility has developed a toolkit of leading sustainability practices, Misser explained.