The Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) has launched a benchmark for infrastructure assets.
A group of investors representing 鈧�1.5bn and including AIMCo, APG, ATP, , CalPERS, Mirova, Ontario Teachers鈥� Pension Plan and PGGM is backing the benchmark.
The first assessments under the GRESB Infrastructure framework are expected in the first quarter of next year.
GRESB said assessment would allow more capital to flow into sustainable infrastructure and raise the level of sustainability in existing infrastructure worldwide.
Anne Stausboll, chief executive at CalPERS, said the US pension fund looked forward to working with GRESB鈥檚 platform to gain insights into current and prospective infrastructure assets.
鈥淯tilising this platform gives CalPERS a process for implementing our investment beliefs, enabling us to better understand and navigate the multi-faceted risks and opportunities of our portfolio,鈥� she said.
Patrick Kanters, managing director for global real estate and infrastructure at APG Asset Management, said: 鈥淕iven the long-term horizon and the societal impact of infrastructure investment, sustainability and broader environmental, social and governance considerations are critically important for infrastructure investors.
鈥淭herefore, we join forces in setting up a global benchmark that provides insight, allows us to measure the progress and gives us the means to engage with our investee funds and companies.鈥�
The benchmark will offer investors an industry-wide assessment and process to enable systematic evaluation of the sustainability performance of their global infrastructure assets.
GRESB said it would provide a consistent framework for investors to collect and compare key environmental, social and governance performance metrics across their infrastructure assets.
