The Property Council of Australia has announced that Australian property companies have once again demonstrated their global leadership in sustainability, according to the recently released 2024 GRESB benchmark results.
The Oceania region, which includes Australia and New Zealand, has secured the top position in both the standing investments benchmark and the development benchmark.
Property Council Chief Executive Mike Zorbas emphasised the crucial role of property leaders in promoting sustainability both domestically and internationally.
“In 2024, Australian property leaders continue to create world-leading sustainable buildings and portfolios. These gold medal results should be a source of national pride,” Zorbas stated.
The GRESB Benchmarks, which assess environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance in real estate assets, saw record participation this year.
With 2,223 real estate participants globally, including 132 from Australia, the benchmarks evaluated over $10 trillion in real estate assets worldwide.
Zorbas highlighted the significance of these achievements, noting that the built environment accounts for a quarter of Australian emissions.
He congratulated the numerous Australian companies recognised on the GRESB leaderboards, as well as those demonstrating innovation and emerging leadership in sustainability.
“Building leadership and innovation matters because the built environment accounts for a quarter of Australian emissions,” Zorbas explained.
He added that Australians can take pride in the fact that their property leaders are at the forefront of efforts to achieve national net-zero targets.
The Property Council Chief Executive also emphasised the ongoing collaboration between industry leaders and governments to address sustainability challenges in older existing building stock.
Established in 2009, GRESB has become the global standard for sustainability benchmarking and the largest source of ESG data for real estate assets.
The continued success of Australian companies in these benchmarks underscores the nation’s commitment to sustainable practices in the property sector and its potential to influence global sustainability efforts.
