M&G Real Estate has published its latest Responsible Property Investment (RPI) strategy, detailing key targets to be achieved by 2025. Following extensive engagement with investors, employees and occupiers, the objective of the strategy is to enrich the lives of communities and future proof investments through four impact areas:
Socio-economic benefits: M&G Real Estate activities already enable employment for over 300,000 people globally, and in 2016/17 donated over £175,000 worth of free space across 300 art, culture and charity events worldwide. By 2025, the ambition is for 100 locations across the globe to have benefitted from its community programmes.
Environmental excellence: Having achieved a 15% reduction in energy intensity since 2012/13 and a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions over the same period, the aim is to reach a 25% reduction in each by 2025. There is also a target to secure green building certification for 50% of M&G Real Estate assets by value globally, increasing from the current 19%, and to divert 95% of waste from landfill over the same time frame. In 2016/17, 91% of waste globally was diverted from landfill.
Health, wellbeing and occupier experience: The business has also taken steps to improve the satisfaction and wellbeing of its tenants, primarily through onsite facilities and intelligent design. 2017 saw the launch of its first circadian lighting project at one of its office assets, which recreates natural daylight enhancing occupier wellbeing. M&G Real Estate has focused on making its shopping centres even more inclusive by increasing accessibility facilities and enhanced customer-service training, which has already led to a ‘Dementia Friendly’ award for one asset. The goal for 2025 is to reach 10 million people globally through these health, wellbeing and inclusivity programmes.
Smart, secure and connected: M&G Real Estate’s 2025 target is to deliver enhanced digital and physical connectivity across its portfolio and maintaining the highest levels of digital security, trialling new technologies and acquiring assets in desirable locations with the best physical and digital infrastructure.
Tony Brown, Head of M&G Real Estate, comments: “Our fiduciary responsibilities give us an important and influential role to play in RPI, and we will use our resources to enrich the lives of people and communities by creating and managing world-class places to live, work and play. This brings positive value to our investors, to society and to the environment. We continue to work hard towards our ambitious vision of becoming a global leader in this area and have injected momentum, principles and innovations into our approach with our new strategy.”
Nina Reid, Director of Responsible Property Investment, M&G Real Estate, adds: “We are proud to have been the first company in the real estate sector to have been awarded the National Equality standard and will continue to demonstrate leadership in this important area. Through our four key principles, M&G Real Estate is committed to reducing its impact on the environment and making a positive impact in the communities where we invest.. We are always seeking ways to improve our performance and our regular and deepening engagement with occupiers is a crucial part of this.”
