Unicredit is the first banking group in Europe to obtain the GRESB Real Estate scoring on corporate real estate assets. The assets analyzed by GRESB include properties for a value of approximately 5 billion euro distributed in various Central and Eastern European countries in which the Group operates.
“ESG principles are at the heart of all our real estate activities – he commented Salvatore Greco, Head of Group Real Estate in Unicredit –. As a bank, we remain committed to constantly assessing, monitoring and improving the ESG performance of our assets and related management processes. In line with the Group's ESG Strategy, which is a key pillar of our UniCredit Unlocked strategic plan, the GRESB project represents a tangible example of our sustainability commitments, further strengthening our leadership in the implementation of innovative ESG initiatives”.
GRESB Real Estate: what it is and how it works
GRESB Real Estate Assessment is a global ESG benchmark and scoring mechanism for listed real estate companies, privately owned funds, developers and real estate investors. In 2021, more than 1.500 real estate firms, REITs, funds and developers participated in the Real Estate Assessment, which covers approximately $5.700 trillion in assets under management and 117.000 assets in 66 countries.
Unicredit at the top on ESG issues
The goal, explains a note, remains to consolidate the GRESB scoring over time thanks to a monitoring of ESG performance of properties and management processes and a constant comparison of these with respect to the highest market standards.
Furthermore, the banking group led by Andrea Orcel continues to progressively reduce its dependence on fossil fuels: already in 2021, 80% of the electricity used in our offices came from renewable sources (100% in Italy and Germany and 98% in Austria ).
Unicredit was also among the first in the European financial services sector and the first bank in Italy to sign a electricity purchase agreement (PPA) with specialist renewable energy producer, CVA, to supply power for its data centers in Italy.
Unicredit's energy efficiency measures
The Group continues to adopt energy efficiency measures to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, a priority of the ESG Strategy and of the objectives of the Unlocked Strategic Plan. The Group has already achieved a 32% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (scope 1 and 2, market-based) in 2021 compared to 2017 and is committed to achieving the Net Zero target on its emissions by 2030 and on financed emissions by 2050.
