Climate Change Data

Varia US Properties AG

Climate Impact & Sustainability Data (2021, 2022, 2023)

Reporting Period: 2021

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

  • Environmental
  • Social
  • Governance

Environmental Achievements

  • Reduced water and energy consumption through LED lights installation, leak detection, and low-flow hardware installation.

Social Achievements

  • Partnered with ESUSU to offer direct reporting to credit agencies on on-time rent and utility bill payments for residents.

Governance Achievements

  • Defined a complete ESG strategy with four goals, aligned with 10 UN Sustainable Development Goals, with the support of the Green Building Initiative (GBI).

Climate Goals & Targets

Long-term Goals:
  • Climate-related physical and transition risks examined by 2025 for all assets.
Medium-term Goals:
  • Being recognized through GRESB in the upper quartile of North American multifamily submitters by 2023.
  • Implementing a diversity, equality, and inclusion policy in 2022.
  • Developing an effective charitable engagement program.
Short-term Goals:
  • Meeting Kingsley Resident Survey Overall Satisfaction Index score across the portfolio by the end of 2022 and maintaining an annual resident retention rate of more than 55% across the portfolio.
  • Recycling and waste reduction services offered at every property by 2025. 15% reduction in Energy Use Intensity by 2025 vs. the 2021 baseline.

Supply Chain Management

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRESB

UN Sustainable Development Goals

  • 10 out of 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals

Reporting Period: 2022

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

  • Environmental
  • Social
  • Governance

Environmental Achievements

  • 8 ENERGY STAR performance certifications and 4 Green Globes property certifications achieved
  • Updates and context for measurable key performance indicators for Greenhouse Gas emissions as well as energy and water use intensity
  • Participation for the first time in the leading real estate industry benchmark GRESB, resulting in a score well above average for such a first-time submission.

Social Achievements

  • Conducting satisfaction surveys among residents and employees and drawing learnings from them
  • Joining like-minded peers as a founding member of the Multifamily Impact council, a platform that includes ESG standards in the US multifamily asset class

Governance Achievements

  • Strengthening importance of ESG on strategic level by introducing an ESG Board committee and launching ESG section on corporate website
  • External assurance of selected environmental metrics conducted by independent third party

Climate Goals & Targets

Short-term Goals:
  • introduce additional onsite solar power to selected communities in 2023

Supply Chain Management

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRESB, SASB, TCFD, UN SDGs

Third-party Assurance: independent third party

Awards & Recognition

  • Freddie Mac Impact Sponsor
  • Sustainability and Innovative Award by the Utility Management Advisory
  • Sustainable Leadership award from St. Petersburg Downtown

Reporting Period: 2023

Environmental Metrics

Total Carbon Emissions:Not disclosed
Scope 1 Emissions:Not disclosed
Scope 2 Emissions:Not disclosed
Scope 3 Emissions:Not disclosed
Renewable Energy Share:Not disclosed
Total Energy Consumption:Not disclosed
Water Consumption:Not disclosed
Waste Generated:Not disclosed
Carbon Intensity:Not disclosed

ESG Focus Areas

  • Energy Efficiency
  • Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction

Environmental Achievements

  • Second portfolio rating by GRESB shows performance improved by 30%, achieving 4 stars and 83 points.
  • 21 additional properties were awarded with ENERGY STAR® Performance Certifications and 4 received Green Globes Certificates.

Social Achievements

  • Not disclosed

Governance Achievements

  • Stoneweg, on behalf of Varia US, became a signatory of the UN-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI).

Climate Goals & Targets

Long-term Goals:
  • Not disclosed
Medium-term Goals:
  • Establish a comprehensive GHG inventory and develop science-based targets to further reduce CO2 emissions.
Short-term Goals:
  • Not disclosed

Environmental Challenges

  • Further pressure on rents
  • Property valuations are still expected to go down, at least in the first two or three quarters of 2024.
  • The United States presidential election in November will also have an impact on 2024, as the transaction volume is always slowing down in the months leading up to the event.
Mitigation Strategies
  • Continue selling non-strategic assets.
  • Committed to pursuing its strategy of improving the quality and ESG performance of the portfolio.

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: Not disclosed

Responsible Procurement
  • Not disclosed

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks
  • Not disclosed
Transition Risks
  • Not disclosed
Opportunities
  • Not disclosed

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRESB

Certifications: ENERGY STAR® Performance Certifications, Green Globes Certificates

Third-party Assurance: Not disclosed

UN Sustainable Development Goals

  • Not disclosed

Not disclosed

Sustainable Products & Innovation

  • Not disclosed

Awards & Recognition

  • Not disclosed