The conversation focuses on the crucial role of ESG in driving business resilience and long-term success, while also highlighting the challenges of balancing competing interests in sustainable investing, including those of lenders, insurers, investors and tenants. This episode’s guests also discuss using a data-driven decision-making process to make the right calls when it comes to making Canada's built environment more sustainable.

The highlights include:

• At Colliers, more than 35 million square feet of our managed portfolio are currently certified to one or more ESG building performance and/or occupant experience standards. This is a 30% increase compared to last year.
• There is risk in abandoning ESG commitments, particularly as legislative and corporate requirements expand. While important decisions need to be made around how to move forward and which specific ESG elements to prioritize and when, it's essential to not turn our backs on the progress achieved so far.
• The insurance industry needs to accelerate its adaptation to the reality of ESG commitments today. In some cases, companies are spending millions on ESG resiliency measures, only to find that it is having no helpful impact on reducing their insurance premiums.
• People want more green spaces, as teams like Colliers Real Estate Management Services are routinely hearing from clients, tenants and the public. That's why the next big thing for real estate will be nature and biodiversity projects threaded into our buildings and cities.
• We must recognize that KPIs for the “E,” “S” and “G” components of ESG will differ. The ESG investments being made today have value beyond the financial win, and it's important to shine a light on that.

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