Berlin Hyp survey: ESG issues more important than ever for the entire real estate industry

The key finding of the Berlin Hyp survey is that ESG issues are becoming increasingly relevant in the real estate industry. When assessing the “Environmental” section, the majority of respondents (53%) felt that sustainable new construction projects will become particularly relevant. The determination of the real estate industry to transform itself into a sustainable industry is also evident here. For the question of what will become particularly relevant for the real estate industry in addition to affordable housing, just over two thirds (64%) answered with “social care properties such as care properties and educational institutions”. This also demonstrates a clear trend towards more social responsibility in the sector. When asked about governance issues, 43 per cent of participants came to the conclusion that diversity within the companies and the management boards should be given special importance. A greater awareness of the topic of diversity is recognisable here.

Sascha Klaus, Chair of the Board of Management of Berlin Hyp: “ESG has been defining the public debate for a long time. It was important for us to capture the relevance of the individual issues. It is clear that we can only pave the way to a more sustainable and socially equitable world together as an industry. We are on the right track, but we still have a long way to go to reach our goal. It is important to us as Berlin Hyp to make our contribution in this regard and to drive this important issue forward."

About this survey

Berlin Hyp collected the survey data at the three-day real estate trade fair EXPO REAL. For each of the sections, Environmental, Social and Governance, we asked a question with four possible answers. The survey supplements the publication of the Bank’s ESG vision. A total of 253 people took part. The respondents’ assessments refer to the year 2022.