According to its latest assessments, GRESB, the organisation providing ESG benchmarks for real estate and infrastructure globally, has named Oceania as the fastest-growing region this year, again.
According to its 2023 Assessment, Oceania, which includes Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific region, stood out with an unmatched record of a sharp 23 per cent year-over-year increase in participation, despite Europe leading the pack with the highest number of new participants this year.
Oceania and Europe are also leading the way in net-zero policies across infrastructure and assets, with 65 per cent of participants in both regions reporting having a net-zero policy in place, ahead of the global 60 per cent this year.
Oceania ranked first in terms of having a net-zero policy, with 93 per cent of participants reporting having a policy in place, followed by 78 per cent in Asia.
Notably, the organisation has also increased the information it collects from participants on net zero this year, which includes net-zero commitments and targets.
A similar steep growth can also be seen in infrastructure benchmarks, with Oceania recording a 10 per cent year-over-year increase in participation, just short of America’s 11 per cent.
Rest of the world
This year, participation in the assessment included 2084 real estate portfolios, 172 infrastructure funds and 687 assets, counting for a 15 per cent growth from last year. While Oceania and Asia exhibited strong growth, Europe and America continue to have steady growth rates.
Sebastien Roussotte, chief executive at GRESB said, “Benchmark growth across real estate and infrastructure this year is not just about numbers — it’s about the depth, breadth and usefulness of the data.”
Participants were more dedicated and aware of data quality and committed to demonstrating transparency and sustainability, he said.
The report noted that despite most participants reporting a net-zero policy, only 56 per cent have made a public net-zero commitment, and 50 per cent have established a net-zero target across the globe.
Facilities in the infrastructure benchmark have also risen by 15 per cent from previous years across 37 sectors. Data collectors have also deepened their data coverage, encouraging participants to report air pollution, biodiversity and habitat, waste, and employee engagement metrics.
Results of the survey in Oceania and Australia will become available on 31 October.