News Archive
October 10, 2017
Pensions, other institutional investors as well as private banking clients are more and more integrating sustainability factors into their investment strategies. With one of the highest carbon footprints, the real estate sector is naturally the first place to look in order to curb climate change; and investors, increasingly aware of their responsibility, are embracing this challenge.
In this context, Global Property Research (GPR), a service provider for leading financial institutions, specializing in customized property indices, and real estate expert La Française are pleased to announce the launch of a new sustainable global real estate index designed for institutional investors: GPR IPCM LFFS Sustainable GRES Index, which will set new standards in terms of sustainability in the listed real estate sector.
La Française member companies, Inflection Point Capital Management UK Ltd. (IPCM) and La Française Forum Securities (LFFS), together with GPR will collaborate on the creation and maintenance of this new index consisting of up to 150 global sustainable real estate securities, selected based on their real estate activities, ESG performance and market capitalization. GPR compiles and administers the Index.
IPCM, the specialist, sustainability-focused investment advisory arm of La Française, uses its proprietary sustainability / ESG model to assess companies in terms of carbon intensity, materials use, water use efficiency, electricity use and energy efficiency, as well as health & safety, human capital management and overall governance. To generate the final IPCM ratings and achieve the best possible accuracy in rankings, IPCM synthesizes data, information, and insights from a variety of sources, including LFFS which will provide IPCM with ESG related company data, information and insights garnered from its research and interviews with management. GPR calculates index performance on the basis of its proprietary methodology on the universe of the top 150 ESG constituents with a quarterly review cycle.
Jeroen Vreeker, Head of the GPR Index Team, said: “Sustainability is a factor that is increasingly implemented when providing benchmark solutions for listed real estate investments. The GPR IPCM LFFS Sustainable GRES Index covers over 60% of the total market capitalization of the broad GPR General Quoted Index and remains highly diversified to countries and sectors. The index is a valuable addition to GPR’s suite of tailor-made benchmarking solutions.”
Matthew Kiernan, CEO of IPCM, noted: “All over the world, demand for more sustainable real estate offerings is growing exponentially. The leading, most far-sighted real estate companies have recognized this trend and are providing innovative solutions. This new index provides investors with a unique opportunity to identify the leading, best-managed companies and invest in their securities.”
Jana Sehnalova, Managing Director of LFFS, commented: “The GPR IPCM LFFS Sustainable GRES Index sets a new industry standard for climate conscious investors in the listed real estate sector. Given the growth in tenant demand for green real estate and tightening government regulations, real estate securities with underlying holdings that have superior environmental characteristics and a strong focus on social and governance factors should outperform financially.”
About La Française
For forty years, La Française has been developing core competencies in third party asset management.
La Française has a multi-affiliate business model organized around four core activities: securities, real estate, investment solutions and direct financing. The group caters to institutional and private clients throughout the world.
With 566 professionals and offices in Paris, Frankfurt, Geneva, Stamford (CT, USA), Hong Kong, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Milan, Seoul and Singapore, La Française manages over 64* billion euros in assets.
Credit Mutuel Nord Europe (“CMNE”), a banking and insurance group present in Northern France and Belgium with total regulatory capital in excess of €3.3bn as at 31/12/2016, holds 92% of the voting rights of La Française (as at 16/03/2017). La Française’s employees and management are also shareholders in the company.
*as at 30/06/2017
About GPR
Global Property Research (GPR) specializes in the creation of indices for the listed real estate and infrastructure sectors, available in various formats. GPR provides over 3,500 index series, focusing on creating solutions meeting the needs of (specialized) investors with specific mandates.
All index products use an extensive and unique proprietary database of global listed real estate companies. GPR has a proven track record since 1995. GPR offers its clients five standard benchmarks: GPR 250 Index, GPR 250 REIT Index, GPR General Index, GPR General Quoted Index and GPR Pure Infrastructure Index. All its indices are distributed via various data vendors.
GPR has an independent, dedicated and experienced Index Team with hands-on service for clients. Moreover, all index calculation procedures and maintenance processes are performed in-house. GPR complies with the IOSCO Principles for Financial Benchmarks to the extent these are proportional in relation to GPR’s benchmarks and benchmark-related activities. GPR is currently implementing the applicable provisions of the EU Benchmark Regulation (“BMR”), which is coming into effect as of 1 January 2018. GPR shall timely apply for authorization/registration as a benchmark administrator as defined in the BMR. In the meantime GPR qualifies for the BMR transitional provisions, as it already provided benchmarks on 30 June 2016.
For additional information on GPR, please visit www.globalpropertyresearch.com
Enquiries:
La Française:
Pascale Cheynet: +33 1 43 12 64 25 - pcheynet@lafrancaise-group.com
Caroline Babouillard: + 33 1 44 50 58 72 - cbabouillard@lafrancaise-group.com
GPR:
Jeroen Vreeker: +31 20 3488 451 - j.vreeker@gpr.nl
Floris van Dorp: +31 20 3488 452 - f.van.dorp@gpr.nl
Disclaimer
The information and material provided herein does not in any case represent advice, an offer, a solicitation or a recommendation to invest in specific investments. Issued by La Française AM Finance Services, home office 128 boulevard Raspail, 75006 Paris, France, regulated by the “Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel” as investment services provider under the number 18673 X, affiliate of La Française. La Française Forum Securities (UK) Limited is a limited liability company registered at the Companies House of England and Wales under company number 06938242 and with its registered office at 78 Brook Street, London, England, W1K5EF, authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Inflection Point Capital Management is a UK-based limited liability company registered at the Companies House of England and Wales under company number 08773186 and with its registered office at 78 Brook Street, London, England, W1K5EF, authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Issued by Global Property Research B.V., a limited liability company registered with the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce under number 33009393 and with its registered office at Beethovenstraat 300, 1077 WZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.