Sustainability at HAMBORNER
The shift towards a sustainability-oriented property industry is a long-term goal that we share with our competitors and our stakeholders alike. Our mission is to actively rise to meet the growing trend towards ESG integration on the business, property and investment side and to take social and ecological responsibility in the context of our value-adding mandate.
We take a matter-of-fact approach to the importance of sustainability for Hamborner REIT AG and its stakeholders: We focus on the key impact of our business model and thoroughly examine strategic decisions and action in sustainability management. For we can only successfully keep pace with the dynamic transformation process in our industry and safeguard the performance and future viability of our business model with a clear approach and focus. This approach has also prompted us to consider sustainability strategically, and to integrate key ESG criteria into our overall strategy and our processes.
Sustainability strategy
Hamborner REIT AG’s overall strategy is geared towards value-adding growth through the continued optimisation and yield-driven expansion of its commercial property portfolio. This is done in line with market developments, growth prospects and the expected potential for value added. Growing calls from stakeholders for sustainable business are another crucial factor.
The development of our implicit sustainability strategy is a dynamic process driven by two vital and fundamental questions:
- Which political and market-driven developments and circumstances do we have to consider to avert risks and recognise opportunities on the market?
- Where can we possibly adapt our business model to do business more sustainably and create additional value added?
The answers to these questions form the basis for our strategic sustainability programme that we are using as a roadmap for implementing our sustainability strategy and for communicating transparently with our stakeholders. (Details on Hamborner REIT AG’s sustainability programme can be found in our current sustainability report.)
Sustainability management
The key criteria for our sustainability activities are achievability and value added. The work of our sustainability management has to be supported by all our employees. This is also precisely the reason why exact resource planning is a key success factor.
We see sustainability management as an interdisciplinary task. We must tackle challenges that go beyond individual departments and overcome any form of compartmentalised thinking. A key step in this direction was the establishment of our internal Sustainability Committee to manage and plan our key sustainability activities. (Details on Hamborner REIT AG’s sustainability management can be found in our current sustainability report.)
Stakeholders
The key to the success of any sustainability strategy is cooperation with external stakeholders. This is why we have developed a systematic stakeholder engagement programme to intensify our interaction with the relevant stakeholders. Through various forms of dialogue, we will be putting sustainability issues relevant to business on the agenda and giving our stakeholders the chance to address their own issues, from which strategic and organisational measures may then be derived. (Details on our stakeholder management and stakeholder engagement programme can be found in our current sustainability report.)
Key issues and action areas
In defining ESG and sustainability issues relevant to business, we are strictly guided by the principle of materiality. Our tenet is to efficiently steer the resources available and our commitment towards the issues where we identify the most environmental and social impact – at the same time utilising the most effective levers for optimising our ESG performance. This led to the definition of the following central ESG action areas:
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Corporate Governance & Dialogue
ESG criteria are a rising priority in the principles for managing and monitoring our company. We are also rising to meet the demand for greater accountability for the risks and opportunities of our business model in connection with ESG issues.We are actively involved in the development of ESG criteria specific to our industry and the modification of corporate governance guidelines through our involvement in organisations such as the Corporate Governance in the German Property Sector Initiative or the German Property Federation (ZIA).
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Environmental Management & Climate Protection
We are advancing our environmental management across all divisions and leveraging potential along the value chain – starting with the consumption of resources in our own offices and extending to the analysis of corresponding criteria at our tenants and business partners.There will be a much stronger focus on climate protection moving ahead. The current political and market events spur us on in the development of our climate strategy. We will provide the necessary resources to monitor carbon emissions data for the entire property portfolio and implement the reduction of GHG emissions in all business areas as a performance criterion.
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Portfolio Quality & Optimisation
In the area of Portfolio Quality & Optimisation, we manage property-related challenges pertaining to carbon footprint and environmental criteria for actual renovation and modernisation work. We also consider social criteria such as properties’ public transport connectivity or local sustainability programmes.
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Employee Development
In Employee Development, the focus is on continuing professional development, the examination and implementation of new concepts for more flexible working models and the additional health management challenges arising in conjunction with the coronavirus pandemic.
Reporting
HAMBORNER REIT AG has a long history of reporting on ESG and sustainability issues. The sustainability reports are an integral part of our sustainability management and provide non-financial information that supplements the respective annual reports. In preparing the reports, we are guided by the internationally recognised Sustainability Reporting Guidelines (Standards) of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). Other frames of reference for our sustainability management and external reporting are the Sustainability Best Practices Recommendations (sBPR) published by the European Public Real Estate Association (EPRA) and the Practical Guidelines for Effective Social Action of the German Property Federation (ZIA).
Sustainability Report 2019/2020
Sustainability Report 2018/2019
Sustainability Report 2017/2018
Sustainability Report 2017
Sustainability Report 2016
Sustainability Report 2015
Sustainability Report 2014
Sustainability Report 2013
