PGGM has mapped the carbon dioxide footprint of its €20 billion ($22.7 billion) in real estate assets with the help of data analytics platform GeoPHY, said a spokesman for the Dutch pension fund provider.
The partnership means PGGM can map the CO2 footprint of its entire real estate portfolio — both listed and private — down to individual buildings. The firm also can compare its portfolio with other local real estate markets.
Half of PGGM's real estate investments qualify for the highest category as judged by the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark — an independent global benchmark that considers the sustainability of these assets. “With the instruments provided by GeoPHY, we take a next step toward full transparency and insights in the carbon footprint of the real estate,” said Guido Verhoef, head of private real estate at PGGM, in a news release from the two firms. “That will help us to achieve a fully sustainable portfolio.”
The spokesman said PGGM will use the information to gain maximum insight into the sustainability of the individual building in its portfolios. “This will enable us to put pressure on fund managers to take all kinds of measures to lower the footprint. It also allows us to value the current portfolios and also new investments better,” he said in an e-mail.
PGGM manages €186.6 billion, including the €161.7 billion Pensioenfonds Zorg en Welzijn, Zeist, Netherlands.