CSR Performance
CSR Performance
Better Places 2030 builds on the United Nations Sustainable Developpement Goals. With our CSR strategy, we contribute directly to 10 out of 17 of theses goals, with a strong focus on the "Sustainable cities and communities" objective. The external recognitions that we received for our relentless efforts make us proud.
- Cut carbon emissions across our value chain by -50%
- Reduce emissions from construction by -35 % by 2030
- Reduce emissions from operations by -80 % by 2030
- Improve the energy efficiency of our assets by 30% by 2030
- Multiply the installed capacity of on-site renewable energy fivefold by 2025
- Aim to send zero waste to landfill by 2025
- Reduce emissions from transport by -40 % by 2030
- 50 % of visitors to access Group assets by sustainable means of transport by 2030
- 100% development projects significantly connected to public transport solutions by 2025
- 100 % development projects to integrate a circular economy design solution by 2025
- 100 % development projects to include long-term climate risks, while minimizing resource use and maintaining user comfort by 2025
- 100 % of our assets to include a climate change risk plan by 2022
- Develop a Group biodiversity strategy by 2020
- 100 % standing assets with high biodiversity stakes to implement a biodiversity action plan by 2022
- 100 % development projects to implement a biodiversity action plan by 2022
- Cut carbon emissions across our value chain by -50%
- Reduce emissions from construction by -35 % by 2030
- Reduce emissions from operations
by -80 % by 2030 - Improve the energy efficiency of our
assets by 30% by 2030 - Multiply the installed capacity of on-site renewable energy fivefold by 2025
- Aim to send zero waste to landfill by
2025 - Reduce emissions from transport by
-40 % by 2030 - 50 % of visitors to access Group assets by sustainable means of transport by 2030
- 100% development projects significantly connected to public transport solutions by 2025
- 100 % development projects to integrate a circular economy design solution by 2025
- 100 % development projects to include long-term climate risks, while minimizing resource use and maintaining user comfort by 2025
- 100 % of our assets to include a climate change risk plan by 2022
- Develop a Group biodiversity strategy by 2020
- 100 % standing assets with high biodiversity stakes to implement a biodiversity action plan by 2022
- 100 % development projects to implement a biodiversity action plan by 2022
Several circular economy projects have been launched over the past few years, and the topic has been included in the new sustainability brief for development projects to scale it up across all development projects.
The requirement to study long-term climate change impacts has been included in the sustainability brief to be used by all development projects. Several projects have already launched relevant studies in 2019.
Based on the Group risk assessment of long-term climate change risks delivered in 2019, the Group will work on adaptation plans for its standing assets.
The Group biodiversity strategy will be published in 2020 based on returns of experiences from initiatives led for the last few years, external experts and best practices.
The new biodiversity strategy will be published in 2020. For standing assets, a biodiversity action plan toolkit will be created and sent to the assets with high biodiversity stakes in order to reinforce existing initiatives in a number of assets.
In 2019, the Group engaged several biodiversity studies on development projects under BREEAM certification. Biodiversity has already been included in the new sustainability brief for development projects.
- 1,000 people to integrate a job or a qualifying training certification through the URW for Jobs programme by 2020
- 100% flagship assets to support at least one local charity or NGOsponsored long-term project (>2 years) by 2022
- 100 % of owned & managed assets with a community resilience action plan by 2020
- 100% flagship assets to support local entrepreneurship through commercial partnerships and regional networks by 2020
- Collaborate with tenants to increase transparency of brands on health and sustainability, and to expand healthy and sustainable alternatives in 100% flagship assets by 2025
- 100% flagship assets support and promote at least one sustainable consumption initiative by 2022
- 1,000 people to integrate a job or a qualifying training certification through the URW for Jobs programme by 2020
- 100% flagship assets to support at least one local charity or NGOsponsored long-term project (>2 years) by 2022
- 100 % of owned & managed assets with a community resilience action plan by 2020
- 100% flagship assets to support local entrepreneurship through commercial partnerships and regional networks by 2020
- Collaborate with tenants to increase transparency of brands on health and sustainability, and to expand healthy and sustainable alternatives in 100% flagship assets by 2025
- 100% flagship assets support and promote at least one sustainable consumption initiative by 2022
In 2019, the methodology and tools were designed to help the Group’s assets implement their Community Resilience Action plans.
The Grand Prize Retail was conducted for the 13th time in France and initiated in Spain, while local initiatives such as l’ “Ouvre-Boite” or la “Place Ephémère” enabled retail entrepreneurs to conduct customer facing tests and develop their activities.
New sustainable brands (produced locally, produced without toxic chemicals, organic etc.) were integrated in the portfolio, while a concrete action plan has been defined to collaborate with retailers
100% flagship assets support and promote at least one sustainable consumption initiative by 2022
- 100% Group employees with yearly individual CSR objectives by 2020
- Ensure full equal opportunities (e.g. gender, nationality, sexual orientation) in HR processes in 2019
- 100% of Group employees take part in the URW Volunteering Programme annually by 2020
- 100% of our countries to implement Work Greener and employee well-being programmes by 2020
- Improve employee engagement on diversity and inclusion
- Develop and roll-out Group-wide leadership & management programmes integrating CSR by 2022
- 100% of Group employees to have participated in CSR training by 2022
- 100% Group employees with yearly individual CSR objectives by 2020
- Ensure full equal opportunities (e.g. gender, nationality, sexual orientation) in HR processes in 2019
- 100% of Group employees take part in the URW Volunteering Programme annually by 2020
- 100% of our countries to implement Work Greener and employee well-being programmes by 2020
- Improve employee engagement on diversity and inclusion
- Develop and roll-out Group-wide leadership & management programmes integrating CSR by 2022
- 100% of our countries to implement Work Greener and employee well-being programmes by 2020
In 2019, URW introduced the Group’s gender equality framework and 169 employees participated in Unconscious Bias training. In 2020, URW will introduce a new group Diversity and Inclusion framework and launch a group-wide employee survey.
In 2019, foundations have been laid to redesign the Group senior leadership programme integrating CSR in 2020.
100% of Group employees to have participated in CSR training by 2022
ESG indices, ratings and awards
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield is constantly recognised for its sustainability and performance. Our ESG performance is regularly assessed by analysts, researchers, investors and third-party certification bodies that rank us as one of the most sustainable companies in the industry.
CDP Climate Change A List
CDP is an international non-profit that drives companies and governments to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, safeguard water resources and protect forests. For the third year in a row, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield scored a place on the Climate Change A List by CDP.
FTSE4Good (member since 2005)
The FTSE4Good Index Series is a set of market capitalization-weighted indexes to measure the performance of companies that meet globally recognized corporate social responsibility standards. The June 2020 Index Review confirmed Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield as a member of the Series.
Ethibel Sustainability Index (Excellence since 2011, Pioneer since 2013)
The Ethibel Sustainability Index (ESI) contains companies that display the best performance in terms of corporate social responsibility. Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield has been reconfirmed as a constituent of both the ESI Excellence Europe and the ESI Excellence Global since September 2019.
ECPI Indices (since 2007)
ECPI is a leading rating and index company dedicated to ESG Research (Environmental, Social and Governance). In 2019, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield was confirmed for inclusion in the following ECPI® indices: ECPI Global Eco Real Estate & Building Liquid, ECPI World ESG Equity, ECPI Euro ESG Equity, ECPI Global Ethical Equity, ECPI EMU Ethical Equity, and ECPI Euro Ethical Equity.
Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB)
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield has been ranked 2nd in the Retail Listed Europe sector, with a score of 93/100, and has been recognised Global Listed Development Sector Leader for Diversified - Office/Retail portfolios, with a score of 94/100.
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield also achieved a GRESB 5 Star rating for the 10th year in a row.
ISS ESG
ISS ESG is one of the world’s leading rating agencies. The Group was rated B for its ESG practices in June 2020. Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield received again the Prime status, awarded to companies with an ESG performance above the sector-specific Prime threshold, which means that they fulfil ambitious absolute performance requirements. We are also ranked in the 1st decile.
Vigeo
Vigeo Eiris is a European expert in the assessment of companies and organisations with regard to their practices and performance on environmental, social and governance issues. Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield was ranked as “Top performer” for Europe in the 2019 Real Estate Sector ESG assessment. In June 2019, the Group was also confirmed in the Euronext Vigeo indexes: World 120, Eurozone 120, Europe 120 and France 20.
MSCI ESG indices, ratings and awards
MSCI is a leading provider of critical decision support tools and services for the global investment community. The Group received a rating of AAA (on a scale of AAA-CCC) in the MSCI ESG indices, ratings and awards assessment.
More information on MSCI ESG indices, ratings and awards here
CDP Supplier Engagement Leaderboard
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield was awarded a position on the Supplier Engagement Leaderboard (recognised to be among the top 3% of organisations assessed by CDP).
Standard Ethics
For the first time in 2019, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield was rated by Standard Ethics, an independent sustainability rating agency aiming to promote sustainability and governance standard principles from the European Union, the OECD and the United Nations, and obtained an EEE- ‘Excellent’ grade (on a scale of EEE to F).
EPRA Gold Award
The EPRA (European Public Real Estate Association) has developed its Best Practices Recommendations on Sustainability Reporting (sBPR). For the ninth time in a row, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield received the EPRA Gold Award in 2020 for completing its 2019 reporting in accordance with the EPRA Sustainability BPR.
Sustainalytics
In November 2020, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield received an ESG Risk Rating of 7.4 and was assessed by Sustainalytics to be at Negligible risk of experiencing material financial impacts from ESG factors.
URW’s ESG Risk Rating places it at the 4th rank and in the 1st percentile of the Real Estate Industry assessed by Sustainalytics, as well as at the 13th rank in the Global rated universe (12,000+ companies). URW’s management score of ESG issues assed by Sustainalytics is strong (71.5/100).
More information on Sustainalytics here.