Strategy

Holistic approach

Cofinimmo focuses firstly on the improvement of buildings and than on occupants behaviour, aiming to construct more energy-efficient buildings whilst taking into account mobility and access to the sites' green areas and ensuring a high level of safety for the occupants. The use of sustainable materials also reduces GHG emissions, water consumption and waste production. To achieve this, Cofinimmo complies with European and national legislation and uses the BREEAM certification method and ISO 14001 specifications to reconcile sustainability and profitability.

Cofinimmo’s strategy prepares for tomorrow’s world by anticipating and responding to major societal trends. The United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are one of the major developments which Cofinimmo takes into account.

Sustainability Pillars

Improve the buildings' energy performance and comfort standards while providing a long-term environmental answer to their life cycle

The first pillar of Cofinimmo’s sustainability strategy is to improve the energy performance and comfort standards of its buildings, while addressing long-term environmental challenges. The priority is to reduce the energy intensity of the portfolio to limit greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the impact of climate change.

Recognise the value of people for both the company and the community by investing in development of staff through training and coaching initiatives, promote equal opportunities, support safety, well-being and resilience of employees

The second pillar of Cofinimmo's sustainability strategy is to value its employees, who are proud to contribute to the Group's success. The company believes that diversity, respect and equality enrich the decision-making processes. To ensure its growth, Cofinimmo invests in the personal and professional development of its employees, with an emphasis on their safety, well-being and resilience. As part of this social pillar, the strategy focuses on providing added value to society through a diverse, trained and healthy workforce.

Demonstrate transparency and ethical behaviour towards its stakeholders in conducting its activities by applying clear operating principles

The third pillar of Cofinimmo's sustainability strategy is to demonstrate transparency and ethics in the conduct of its activities with regard to its stakeholders. Cofinimmo obviously condemns any practice that is dubious or punishable by law (corruption, money laundering, undeclared labour, social dumping, etc.) or contrary to the principles of sustainable development, fair treatment, equal opportunities and respect for others.

Conducting business in an honest and proper manner is a priority for the company. In fact, in addition to compliance with applicable regulations, ethical, transparent and sustainable governance rules make it possible to create long-term value for all stakeholders (shareholders, tenants, occupants, suppliers, employees, the environment, etc.).

The 30³ project - Reducing the energy intensity of the portfolio

Energy intensity reduction as the main driver Cofinimmo’s strategy and business model are driven by the reduction of the portfolio's energy intensity. In this context, the Group combines the so-called ‘outside-in’ and ‘inside-out’ approaches. While the former aims to identify stakeholders' expectations and adapt the company's strategy to meet these expectations, the latter focuses on the company's values and objectives and then communicates them to stakeholders. This interaction allows, on the one hand, to reduce the impact of the portfolio on the environment, since the energy consumption during the use of the building by its occupants is the largest part of scope 3 GHG emissions.

On the other hand, buildings with better energy performance are more attractive from a commercial point of view, offering occupants greater comfort at lower cost. Cofinimmo’s consumption reports have been available since 2010 and show a 39% reduction in energy intensity since 2016. For the 30³ Project, 2017 is the reference year, in the application of the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) criteria. The aim is to reduce the average energy intensity of the portfolio by 30% by 2030. The graph opposite shows that a 27% reduction has already been achieved since 2017, in all scopes combined.