ESG

We, the HAMA Europe ESG Committee, want to provide a platform for exchange, knowledge transfer, and further guidance in the implementation of ESG measures to support a value-oriented corporate culture in the industry and we further look to engage with the various stakeholders.

In order to meet the EU’s climate and energy targets for 2030 and reach the objectives of the European green deal, it is vital that we direct investments towards sustainable projects and activities.

The ESG regulation of the EU expands the previously prevailing idea of sustainability from the level of the individual property to sustainable investments as a whole. The focus is no longer just on the property and operation itself, but also on the investor, who is held accountable.

The aspect of environmental (“E”) is largely retained and has its focus on energy consumption and related CO2 emissions during the entire lifecycle of a property. Social criteria (“S”) go beyond previous considerations of the users’ well-being and examines how relationships with employees, suppliers, customers and stakeholders are being managed. It includes topics such as pushing diversity, banning child labor, and fighting corruption. The economical sustainability is being replaced by the governance term (“G”) that deals with management structures, executive pay, audits, internal controls, and shareholder rights.

The EU taxonomy, a common classification system, will provide companies, investors and policymakers with appropriate definitions for which economic activities can be considered environmentally sustainable in terms of ESG criteria. In this way, it should create security for investors, protect private investors from greenwashing, help companies to become more climate-friendly, mitigate market fragmentation and help shift investments where they are most needed.