Deka Immobilien: Focusing on sustainability

Sustainability filter for universal investment fund liquidity

Since 2018, a sustainability filter has been in use for mutual and specialised investment fund liquidity. This filter is based on the ten principles of the UN Global Compact and excludes a variety of controversial areas of business. Approximately EUR 6.2 billion has been managed using the filter as of 31/12/2019.

Every transaction is checked by the EIRES database (Ethical Investment Research Service) for violations of the following criteria:

• Environment & biodiversity
  Failure to adequately address serious environmental scandals
• Chemicals that destroy the ozone layer
  Production and sale of chemicals that destroy the ozone layer without an exit strategy
• Controversial weapons/armaments
  Production of controversial weapons or relevant system components, and/or offering related services
  (cluster bombs, anti-personnel mines)
• Human rights & employment rights
  Failure to appropriately address violations of international human rights conventions or key ILO labour standards (child labour, forced labour, discrimination, freedom of assembly)
• Money laundering
  Failure to appropriately address cases of money laundering
• Corruption
  Failure to appropriately address cases of corruption and bribery

Deka Immobilien focuses on renewable energy

Since 2013, we have been helping to mitigate the effects of climate change by sourcing certified green energy. Building operations such as lighting and air conditioning require high amounts of energy and therefore present an excellent opportunity for reducing CO2 emissions. "Grey energy" is a term that can be used to refer to energy generated from conventional sources, i.e. a mixture of nuclear energy, fossil fuels (such as mineral oil, coal and natural gas) and renewable energy sources (such as wind and solar energy).
 
Converting the communal spaces and technology at the majority of the German properties in the Deka Immobilien portfolio from grey energy to 100% green energy could save up to 30,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. We also switched to green gas on 01/01/20, which will further offset approximately 9500 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.

Smart data solutions for enhanced wellbeing and energy efficiency

As a responsible investor, we pay great attention to the issue of energy efficiency in our buildings, as well as the wellbeing of our tenants. To that end, we began an exclusive partnership with the technology company MeteoViva in 2019.
 
By 2022, at least 100 of our buildings worldwide will be equipped with the MeteoViva Climate smart data solution as a means of actively controlling and monitoring building operations using smart data. (As of Q1 2020: installed and operating in 10 properties). 
 
Using MeteoViva technology in Deka properties will have a significant impact on sustainability by reducing CO2 emissions, while also improving the quality of life for building tenants and increasing the intrinsic value of our real estate portfolio.

Our initial experiences indicate that this technology has led to a reduction in climate-related tenant complaints, and we are also expecting to reduce CO2 emissions by an average of 20%.

„Green Building“

Deka applies its social responsibility to several divisions within the company.

In 2019, Deka Immobilien awarded a Deutschlandstipendium [German scholarship] for the first time, within the scope of long-term cooperation with different universities.

The scholarship is supporting a Bachelor's student in the "Green Building — Building technology, energy efficiency, people and the environment" study programme at University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Lower Saxony (HAWK). 

By awarding this scholarship, Deka Immobilien is supporting a scientific approach to the issues of sustainable construction and digital planning.

Sustainable portfolio revaluations

Going forward, one of the major issues for the real estate industry will be the conservation of resources.
As a long-term property investor, we oversee properties throughout their entire
life cycle. At certain points in this cycle, every building requires some sort of modernisation in order to stay marketable. Portfolio revaluations ensure that value is retained, which in turn benefits the environment as well as our tenants and investors.
In 2019, Deka Immobilien extensively modernised and completely refurbished 8 buildings with a total volume of EUR 180 million, all while taking compliance with sustainability criteria into account. We are helping to conserve resources by actively improving the energy efficiency of our buildings.

You can find a selection of our portfolio upgrades here.

Sustainability Certificates

Certification of a large number of our fund properties is an important part of our commitment to sustainability. This focus on sustainability in the building sector is based on a comprehensive approach to the property life cycle using environmentally-friendly technologies, while ensuring profitability at all times. Property sustainability certificates allow compliance with sustainability criteria to be measured and compared based on nationally established and internationally recognised certification systems. These include, for example, the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM*), Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) and the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB).

Certification systems - Similarities and differences

The core purpose of these certification systems is to rate the environmental, social and functional quality of buildings. The German DGNB rating is the one that reflects the "complete" definition of sustainability: ecology | economy | sociocultural issues. BREEAM and LEED mainly focus on the environmental aspects.

Sustainable Portfolio

We focus on sustainability and our high quality portfolio boasts 258 certified sustainable properties at the end of 2019, including, for example “The Edge” in Amsterdam, “Kings Place” in London, “Tower 185” in Frankfurt, “Silvers” in Dusseldorf or “DC Tower 1” in Vienna. As at the end of 2019, certified buildings represented 68 per cent or EUR 26.7 billion of our global real estate assets under management. Thus, our »Certification Ratio« has more than doubled in the past five years.
 

Deka-ImmobilienEuropa recognised as No.1 for sustainability-certified buildings

A Scope report issued at the end of 2018 confirmed the sustainable orientation of Deka’s open-ended real estate mutual funds. It shows that Deka-ImmobilienEuropa’s certification rate of 82.4 per cent was the highest of the 14 funds examined. WestInvest InterSelect was in second place with 78.1 per cent.

Read more. Scope Report, 28.12.2018 „Portfolios werden nachhaltiger – Zertifizierungsquoten steigen“

“The Edge” in Amsterdam sets new sustainability standards

Deka Immobilien’s “The Edge” property in the Zuidas district of Amsterdam is one of the most innovative buildings in the world. “The Edge” received BREEAM New Construction sustainability certification with a rating of “Outstanding”, and in December 2014 achieved the highest score received so far for a sustainable office building anywhere in the world. In 2016, “The Edge” office building won the BREEAM Award in the "Office New Construction" category.

BREEAM AWARDS 2016

“Kings Place” in London wins 2017 BREEAM Award

The building itself is already unusual. Located directly on the Regent Canal in London, the property includes office space as well as a restaurant, art and event areas and a theatre. Building management received an “Outstanding” rating under the BREEAM In-Use rating system, achieving the highest score ever granted in the United Kingdom. The building implements a well-thought-out sustainability design with features ranging from showers for bicycle riders to support green travel, to a green roof to improve biodiversity.
“Kings Place” received the 2017 BREEAM Award in the Office In-Use category in March 2017.

BREEAM AWARDS 2017

The “Silvers” is the first existing property in Düsseldorf to receive Platinum rating – the highest level of LEED certification. An energy-oriented renovation introduced energy- and water-saving equipment and grey water use. High quality interior and exterior communication areas and additional green areas in the external grounds are used to create a pleasant environment.

Silvers

“Skylight” is one of the first office buildings in Frankfurt am Main to be equipped throughout with LED lighting with daylight-dependent regulation. This decreases power consumption by around 70 percent, which is the equivalent to reducing CO₂ emissions by 190 tonnes a year. The property received LEED^® Platinum for Commercial Interiors certification.

Skylight

See our galleries for a selection of other certified “green buildings”.

Selection of certified buildings in Germany:

Selection of certified  buildings in Europe and overseas: