Sustainable development

Affine has initiated a sustainable development review by considering the impact of its property business on the environment. This process is oriented towards environmental diagnosis of its buildings and raising tenants’ awareness of environmental issues. Affine believes that reducing the ecological footprint starts with reflection conducted jointly with tenants on the use of the premises and the establishment of systems that are more efficient in the use of environmental resources, measuring the impact on energy, water, waste and carbon, and the valuation of investments to upgrade the portfolio’s less efficient buildings in terms of energy consumption. The signing of a green lease in 2010 and efforts to attain green status are concrete examples of these principles in Affine’s operational activity.

Beyond this awareness campaign, the Affine considers that reflection of the real estate sector on the inclusion of sustainable development issues in its business needs further harmonisation and clarification. It has also been involved in sharing its experiences and conclusions on its properties within the Green Valuation Commission of the Grenelle de l'Environnement, a government environmental initiative in France, and within the Pôle Finance Innovation – Immobilier Durable business and research cluster as part of Paris Europlace.

This approach comes under the Group’s objective of social responsibility and the preservation of the value of its properties. This environmental review has led Affine to rethink its property strategy in order to make environmental performance a guide in its investment and disposal policy. Affine is aiming to prioritise the acquisition of buildings which already comply with the most advanced environmental performance criteria, or which could comply with them with limited investment. Similarly, the Group disposes of assets that reveal a risk of loss of value in this environmental approach.

More details in the Business Review : CSR information.