16/01/2024
The future is green.
Real estate development can and should be more sustainable. Sustainable and smart buildings use less energy, are more economical for end users and better retain their value when sold later. Sustainability and demographic evolutions, such as the shift to a rental market, will be the differentiator and driver of the real estate market in the coming years.
Corporate-level ESG
In our activities as a project developer and real estate investor, we extensively integrate ESG principles.
ESG within development activity
ION develops sustainable projects in a climate-friendly way, with added value for people and the environment.
Since the very beginning, we at ION have attached great importance to climate-friendly and innovative solutions: from the Kempen's first heat network (Niefhout, 2015), to the most sustainable office building in Belgium (Waregem Business Park, 2019).
Corporate-level ESG
In our activities as a project developer and real estate investor, we extensively integrate ESG principles and closely follow the latest regulations and guidelines in the area of Corporate Social Responsiblity (CSR). Every year, we set ambitious and concrete targets around themes such as mobility, paper and water consumption, among others, and these evolutions are extensively reported against a baseline measurement.
Transcending criteria and directives
ION complies with both the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR), among other things, to bring transparency on sustainability risks.
As a progressive real estate player, we consider it our duty to exceed the ESG criteria imposed by financial institutions, thus raising the bar for the entire Belgian real estate sector.
Investor's perspective
As a sustainable real estate developer, it is in our nature to put on investor glasses when defining a new project. Specifically, this means outlining a long-term vision, and thinking in terms of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).
Our ambition to invest in 'dark green' projects was recently ratified with the creation of a new residential development fund, in joint venture with French private equity player Omnes Capital.
Thanks to in-depth analyses by sustainability partners such as Bopro, we not only know how many kilograms of CO2 we emit, but also how we can make a positive impact on the living environment.
A thorough ESG approach always remains a balancing act, with tension between the pillars 'Environment' and 'Social'. With ION Residential Platform (IRP), we are responding to the ever-growing demand for affordable rental housing, with the aim of providing at least 1,000 high-quality and sustainable rental housing units in Belgium's major cities.
ESG within development activity
ION develops sustainable projects in a climate-friendly manner, with added value for people and the environment. We play the card of innovative, ecological systems to provide maximum living and working comfort. And we don't stop at completion. We make it as easy as possible for end users to live and work sustainably with heat networks, green mobility, passive cooling, green roofs, and so much more.
