FOR SUSTAINABLE EXPANSIONS AND CONVERSIONS
ESG MANUAL
With the European Green Deal, which sets a target of net zero by 2050, sustainability requirements for financing new and existing properties are becoming more stringent. To achieve taxonomy compliance, minimum sustainability standards must be met and transparently documented.
ECE Marketplaces has therefore created a comprehensive ESG manual with guidelines for expansion and conversion projects inside its shopping centers – the first of its kind in the industry. Based on the DGNB standards and EU taxonomy, it provides a step-by-step guide and sets out criteria that can be used to make sustainable decisions on climate-friendly construction methods and materials in line with ECE standards. The manual considers economic and social aspects as well as environmental ones. Furthermore, it can be used to evaluate and adapt conversion projects to make them more sustainable. A sustainability manager oversees the implementation of sustainability measures, from the planning phase through to project completion and documentation. The sustainability manager acts like a DGNB auditor and provides ongoing support to the project manager.
FROM PILOT PROJECT TO WIDER ROLLOUT
The ESG manual is currently being piloted at the Rheinpark-Center in Neuss for relocations of existing tenants to new units. After the manual has been updated based on findings from the pilot project, the next step will be to roll it out more broadly so it can be used for all planned construction projects in ECE centers. //