Sponda Plc Press release 10 September 2019, at 10.30 a.m.
Sponda Sector Leader in the GRESB sustainability assessment in 2019
Sponda was ranked best in Europe and chosen as the 2019 Sector Leader among the real estate companies in the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) assessment. This demonstrates outstanding sustainability leadership and development within the real estate sector. Sponda achieved the full five stars assessment, for the seventh year running, and was awarded a Green Star for its responsibility work.
Sponda is at the forefront of all areas of the assessment. Sponda received particularly good ratings in environmental certifications, risk and opportunity identification and management, stakeholder collaboration, responsibility management and ESG policies, and environmental responsibility for property development.
This year, Sponda improved its performance in almost every area of the assessment, with the overall score improving by seven points. Sponda took great leaps in management of responsibility risks and opportunities, environmental certification of properties, and stakeholder interaction.
“This international recognition is a sign that we are doing the right things in advancing our responsibility. Our responsibility work is based on a long-term, holistic life cycle approach, and we take the environmental responsibility perspective into account in all our work. I am pleased that our responsibility efforts have again gained this significant recognition”, says Pirkko Airaksinen, Sustainability Manager at Sponda.
The GRESB survey assesses the work done by companies in the property sector to promote sustainable development. The assessment, first introduced in 2009, includes all components of corporate responsibility, with companies evaluated comprehensively in the areas of company-level responsibility management, environmental management systems, environmental performance, stakeholder engagement, risk management, and property development.
The number of participants in the GRESB survey has increased annually, with a total of 964 companies in 65 countries participating this year.
Sponda Plc
Additional information:
Pirkko Airaksinen, Sustainability Manager, tel. +358 40 922 4220, pirkko.airaksinen@sponda.fi
Sponda Plc is a property investment company specializing in commercial properties in the largest cities in Finland. Sponda's business concept is to own, lease and develop retail and office properties and shopping centres into environments that promote the business success of its clients. www.sponda.fi/en.