At Walvius Partners, we have decided to become a GRESB partner. This is great news we want to share with you, of course. But mostly, we want to explain why we believe in the platform.
Participation gives your company a clear idea of its position on sustainability, both internally and compared to peers. It sparks discussion and gamifies the whole process.
Let’s start with the gamification.
The GRESB assessment is score-based, where certain items give you a score. For example, an environmental policy scores 0.5 points, and data collection scores points. The maximum score is 100 points, though it is challenging to obtain this. Of course, after receiving a disappointing score in the first year, the race is on to score better next year. You start looking at the items you want to score on in the next year and begin preparing. Of course, the low-hanging fruit is first, and that’s okay; that is where all companies start.
But this is where the first internal discussions come in.
Choices have to be made regarding the investment needed. Which points do we want to score, and what is the added value? But as documents are being written and targets are being set, it starts the discussion of what these targets should be. Targets and policies have to be serious; no greenwashing is allowed. More people start being involved, maybe a survey is done internally. Well, we want to take the results seriously. Actions are being prepared and taken. The next GRESB is being prepared, not in a few weeks, but it’s a month-long process with people involved. And this happens each year!
Then the benchmark review kicks in.
Then you start looking at how other companies score. The report shows how your direct peers and the rest of the participants scored. Of course, the results are anonymised, but you know how you score compared to other participants. You also know which participants are seen as your peers; their names are shared. So, you know where you take action to either differentiate from your peers, or where to catch up.
And before you know it, your company changes. Recently, ThePrime dedicated an article to the change it brought to Mint Investment, a client we’ve been supporting on the process for several years now.
Because people become involved, and you want to go for those 80 points, you walk the walk. Because GRESB wants to see evidence of what you do, have done, and want to do.
This is why Walvius Partners partners with GRESB: It changes your company and makes it that little bit more sustainable.
There is no other GRESB Partner in Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania, making us the preferred service provider for this region.
To learn more about GRESB, contact us. Or visit their website to find out more: Getting started with GRESB – GRESB.
