Verdani Vitals Spring 2023 | May 2023

We are excited to share our company updates, recognitions, new clients, programs and services, and our ESG education and thought leadership calendar.

View this email in your browser In This Issue: Company Updates Programs & Services 2023 Calendar Industry News Spring 2023 For over five decades, people have shown support for environmental protection by celebrating Earth Day on April 22. At Verdani, we are acutely aware that we must use our collective power every day to make progress for the planet. We are passionate about saving energy, eliminating waste, protecting pollinators, and sharing our knowledge of real estate ESG practices to make a meaningful difference. During this Earth season, Verdani team members and clients participated in Earth Hour 2023. Newly branded as the “Biggest Hour for Earth,” Earth Hour reminds us that we are at a climate tipping point. For Earth Day and Arbor Day, we planted trees in the world’s rainforests, and team members joined in the giving by planting more trees in Africa, Haiti, and the Philippines. Over the past few months, our clients have engaged with millions of employees, tenants, and building occupants across the globe, using sustainably themed outreach created by our Communications team covering topics such as healthy habits, mental clarity, advocating for clean energy, connecting with nature, and the benefits of bicycling and carpooling. We advanced our ESG Essentials series with a webinar on data management best practices on April 20. We also have an upcoming session covering diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) on May 18, and are presenting a Greenbuild webinar on biodiversity in the built environment on May 22. In addition, our Corporate ESG and Technical Service teams are busy preparing 65 client submissions for the GRESB assessment deadline on July 1. In this issue, we are proud to share company updates, team member achievements, ESG workforce development, our latest new clients, reporting, engagement, and strategy services, a new Clients’ Insider section, and a full calendar of ESG education and thought leadership. Bookmark this issue in your browser! Now more than ever, people are recognizing the importance of taking decisive action to combat climate change to safeguard our way of life. The recent IPCC 6th Synthesis Report expressed the need for urgency and presented solutions that lie in climate-resilient development leading to sustainable built environments. Earth Day's 'Invest In Our Planet' theme calls on governments, businesses, and citizens to act boldly and innovatively to create partnerships for the planet. Verdani is calling on you to partner with us to accelerate sustainability in the built environment to make the biggest difference for our Earth. Company Updates New Headquarters! 6130 Innovation Way Verdani is pleased to share that we have a new office at the prestigious Towers at Bressi Ranch, a premier USGBC LEED NC certified office campus in Carlsbad, CA. Officially open on May 17, 2023, our early, future sustainability plans include: LEED EBOM certified in 2024/25 Fitwel certified in 2024 WELL certified in 2025 Solar Panels & Operable Windows as feasible, by 2026 We’re Growing! 82 team members in 50 locations in the U.S. and around the world, as of May 2023, up from 69 in 2022 and 45 in 2021. Industry Recognitions, Affiliations & Partnerships Verdani has been listed as one of 50 green tech companies leading the way in carbon management and making a positive impact on society. We are proud to be recognized by Omdena alongside companies such as Terracycle, Gridium, and CarbonClean. Learn more at Omdena. By participating in leading industry organizations, Verdani team members stay up-to-date on the latest trends and developments, gain early insights into valuable information and data to help make informed decisions about program strategies, and can help shape industry standards and best practices. See how our team members are participating in 2023. Sean Birnbaum ULI CRREM North America Project Working Group Zach Brown ULI CRREM North America Project Working Group, IIGCC Real Estate Working Group Daniele Horton Green Building Learning Collaborative Advisory Board, USGBC-LA Building Decarbonization Committee Julie Jacobson USGBC-LA Women in Green and Urban Landscaping Committees Michael Kloha USGBC Location & Planning (LP) TAG Committee Jessica Loeper UC Irvine Masters in Urban and Regional Planning Program Mentor Mary Reames USGBC-WI Market Leadership Advisory Board Samantha Varela IWBI Investing for Health Advisory Board Dana Weiss ULI CRREM North America Project Working Group Verdani is proud to partner with: Congratulations! Q1 2023 promotions and changes Carli Schoenleber Content and Engagement Specialist (title change) Cassandra Taylor Communications Designer Elissa Brown Associate ESG Data Analytics Manager Gabe John Communications Manager Jennifer Webb Senior Engineering Manager Kaitlyn Teare ESG Global Manager Kelsey Ceccarelli Director of Engineering Kristen Wernick Senior ESG and Biodiversity Manager Lauren Rodriquez Associate Engineering Manager Madison Dorman Associate Director of Certifications Maren Bender Associate ESG Manager Mariana Young Executive Director of Strategy and ESG Global Marty Silber Executive Director of Technology (title change) Noah Gordan Senior ESG Manager Patricia Hunold ESG Manager Rimzhim Mazumdar Engineering Manager Ryan Hasan Senior Communications Designer Seth Kamphoefner Associate Director of ESG Taylor Bulow Associate Director of ESG Taylor Iascone Associate Director of ESG Taylor Volpe Associate Engineering Manager Tim Swaney Senior Director of Business Development Zachary Brown Executive Director of ESG “The right people are our greatest assets.” Jim Collins, Author of Good to Great Empowering professionals with meaningful work. Verdani empowers professionals at every level to learn, grow, and pursue their desired sustainability and ESG career path. Our team members drive our ability to deliver excellent results to clients. We foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and flexibility in workload management to support employees in achieving their best work in a balanced environment. Learn more about working at Verdani at the link below. Read Our Blog Join Our Team! Ongoing hiring for the following positions: Senior Communications Manager* Certifications Coordinator* ESG Coordinator ESG Manager ESG Manager - London Sustainability Analyst Energy Engineer Energy Engineering Manager Director of ESG *current openings available Visit Our Culture and Careers Page ESG Workforce Development Verdani promotes a culture of continuous learning and growth, attracting and retaining top talent in our industry, and to stay competitive in an ever-evolving business landscape. In turn, team members enhance their job performance and increase productivity, which contributes to the overall success of our client programs and our company. In addition to external webinars, conferences, mentoring, and coaching, Verdani invests in our employees through a robust workforce development program, providing weekly internal trainings on all topics ESG for commercial real estate. 85 weekly employee trainings offered to 100% of our employees since Spring 2021. Training topics include: ESG Programs & Services Highlights 21 clients nationally and internationally, as of May 2023 Managing over … 1.3B SF in diversified real estate 8,900 equity and debt properties $660B AUM or total capitalization 180M SF green and healthy building certified 65 submissions for GRESB in 2023 (up from 41 in 2022) Q1 2023 New Clients Bridge Investment Group is a leading, alternative investment manager, diversified across specialized asset classes, with approximately $48.8 billion of assets under management as of March 31, 2023. Bridge combines its nationwide operating platform with dedicated teams of investment professionals focused on select U.S. verticals across real estate, credit, renewable energy, and secondaries strategies. bridgeig.com Gilbane Development Company is the real estate development, financing, and ownership arm of Gilbane, Inc., a 150-year-old family-owned company. With over $8.5billion in development and more than 20,000 units of housing completed/underway, Gilbane Development Company’s projects incorporate every aspect of real estate including multifamily housing (market-rate apartments, student housing, and affordable housing), single-family residential communities, mixed-used developments, healthcare facilities, K-12 schools, government facilities, garage/parking, and many types of facilities delivered through public-private partnerships. gilbaneco.com/development Granite Properties is a privately held commercial real estate investment, development and management company founded in 1991. The firm owns 12 million square feet of high-quality office space in Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Denver, Southern California, Boston, and Nashville. It has completed more than $10.3 billion in real estate transactions and more than 30 million square feet of real estate development and acquisitions. Granite was named NAIOP’s 2022 Developer of the Year. graniteprop.com Hines is a privately owned global real estate investment, development, and management firm, founded in 1957. With a presence in 395 cities in 30 countries, Hines has $95.79 billion of investment assets under management in high-performing assets across residential, logistics, retail, office, and mixed-use strategies. The firm also provides third-party property-level services for more than 96 million square feet of assets. hines.com Voluntary and Regulatory ESG Reporting Image above: Reporting frameworks currently supported by Verdani Both voluntary and regulatory reporting for ESG have become more rigorous in response to growing awareness of sustainability challenges and stakeholder demand for transparency. Voluntary reporting frameworks such as GRESB, Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), and Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), are gaining traction. Governments and financial regulators are implementing stricter ESG reporting standards and requirements to increase accountability and comparability with new regulations such as Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR), EU Taxonomy, and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). As part of our ongoing ESG programs, Verdani prepares benchmarks and disclosures for numerous frameworks including GRESB, PRI, ISS, CSA, CDP, TCFD, SASB, SFDR, and more. We also produce annual ESG and investor reports and help clients navigate the new SEC Modernized Marketing Rule for Investment Advisors in cooperation from their legal and compliance teams. If you are reporting to GRESB, PRI or other benchmarks in 2024, contact us now so we can help you meet your annual reporting and disclosure requirements. Contact Us Free Bonus Material: Check out Verdani Institute for the Built Environment’s guidance report Navigating ESG Reporting Frameworks: A Comprehensive Guide (August 2022), which covers 41 key ESG reporting frameworks and offers insight into why, how, and when they should be applied. Stakeholder Engagement Campaigns By engaging building occupants and encouraging them to adopt sustainable practices, building owners and managers can achieve significant reductions in resource consumption and lowering carbon emissions, and tenants can help boost employee wellness and productivity. Verdani’s engagement campaigns include strategies such as raising awareness about building operations issues and sustainable and healthy behaviors, empowering tenants to make informed decisions, providing incentives that encourage friendly competition among tenants to achieve greater savings, and fostering a sense of community and collaboration towards shared goals. See campaign themes we have implemented so far in 2023. Later this year, we will focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion, climate resilience, decarbonization, energy efficiency, water efficiency, waste reduction and recycling, and more. Client Insider Verdani Insights Verdani Insights is a biannual, client-facing publication with the purpose of briefing clients on industry trends, Verdani activity, and key takeaways so that they can advance their ESG programs, strategy, and business with confidence and clarity. Coming this July, the first issue will feature industry and program development insights focusing on key considerations for ESG budgeting from our R&D committees that shape our core and premium services. Decarbonization (energy efficiency and net zero Resilience (assessment, mitigation and adaptation) Diversity, Equity & Inclusion New Developments (due diligence and strategies) Biodiversity (nature-supporting strategies) Metering (data coverage and quality) Ready to Implement ESG? Our ESG Strategy Package is specifically designed to help you navigate the complex ESG landscape, identify what is material to your organization and stakeholders, and establish actionable ESG goals, targets, and KPIs. We also work with you to draft a comprehensive ESG Policy aligned with stakeholder and investor expectations. Verdani can guide your team every step of the way. Contact us today to advance your ESG journey. Contact Us Join Our Mailing List! Recieve our latest ESG updates, industry insights, and invitations to our events. Sign Up Now 2023 Calendar The calendar below is as of May 15, 2023 and subject to change. Read about our green building certifications services and don’t miss upcoming LEED, Fitwel, and WELL application deadlines. Read Our Blog Upcoming webinars: Verdani ESG Essentials presented Thursdays at 12pm Pacific / 8pm GMT Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion May 18 Register Here Greenbuild Webinar: Biodiversity in the Built Environment Monday, May 22 Register Here Biodiversity: Nature-supporting Strategies for CRE June 15 Register Here Health and Wellbeing July 20 Register Here Green PCAs September 21 Registration coming soon. Join our mailing list. ESG Due Diligence for New Acquisitions October 19 Registration coming soon. Join our mailing list. ESG Best Practices for New Development November 16 Registration coming soon. Join our mailing list. Verdani ESG Essentials Check out dozens of ESG and sustainability webinars and courses covering topics such as ESG core principles, decarbonization, risk and resilience management, sustainability budgeting, GRESB best practices, and more. Go to Verdani Education Recent and upcoming thought leadership: GRI Standards Read Our Blog 2023 Certifications Updates Read Our Blog Navigating ESG Conversations Read Our Blog Financing Net Zero with Green Bonds Read Our Blog Upcoming topics: Data Management 101 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Biodiversity + Resilience + Decarbonization ESG Careers IFRS Disclosures Biodiversity Investor Confidence SEC Regulations Update SEC Climate Disclosures Read Our Blog Upcoming conferences to watch: * Verdani presenting and/or attending ULI Spring Meeting Toronto, Ontario, Canada May 16-18 FuturePlace ESG in Real Estate Sydney, Australia / Online May 17-18 MGBCE* Los Angeles May 18 Kayo Real Estate & Sustainable Investing Summit Miami June 12-14 Nareit REITworks Las Vegas June 28-29 NCREIF Summer Conference Chicago July 10-13 IMN ESG & Decarbonizing in Real Estate* Dana Point July 18-19 Diversity in CRE Conference New York City July 27-30 Net Zero Conference* Los Angeles September 13-14 Climate Week NYC New York City September 17-24 WELL Conference Washington D.C. September 24-25 Greenbuild Conference & Expo* Washington D.C. September 26-29 Reuters Sustainability Reporting USA (Regulatory Compliance) New York City October 2-3 Sustainable Brands* San Diego October 16-19 VERGE Climate Tech San Jose October 24-26 ULI Fall Meeting* Los Angeles October 30 - November 2 GreenBiz BLOOM Biodiversity* San Jose October 24-25 Future of Communications* Austin November 6-10 NCREIF Fall Conference Orlando November 13-16 Nareit | REITworld Los Angeles November 14-16 Industry News The Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures Framework – An Overview of the Fourth Beta Release Creating More Granular CRREM Pathways for the United States and Canada Construction Costs in 2023 and How Your Contract Can Help You Get Ahead of Supply Chain Risks Politics: Navigating ESG Conversations What Is Pushing CRE Toward Creating More Sustainable Built Environments? One Industry Expert Weighs In The State of DEI in Commercial Real Estate SCCE ESG and Compliance Conference AI’s Potential Impact on CRE Industry IPCC 6th Synthesis Report Reader Survey If you’ve gotten this far, thank you and we’d love your help! Please take a moment to complete a short survey and share your thoughts on our newsletter content. Your input is important to us and essential in helping us make improvements. Thank you for your time and support! Share Your Thoughts About Verdani Partners Verdani Partners is a leading full-service consulting firm with team members who have over 25 years of experience in real estate, sustainability, and ESG. Verdani manages ESG programs for 21 real estate firms representing $660 billion AUM and over 8,900 properties across 1.3 billion square feet of diversified portfolios. As an owners' representative for ESG program management, Verdani helps our clients accelerate portfolio performance, minimize risk, and create long-term value by implementing comprehensive strategies including resilience, decarbonization and net zero, resource conservation, healthy buildings, biodiversity, diversity, equity, and inclusion, data management, green building certifications, voluntary and regulatory reporting, GRI-aligned annual sustainability reporting, and stakeholder engagement. HOME ABOUT NEWS & INSIGHTS CONTACT Copyright (C) 2023 Verdani Partners. All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe