Savvy investors are preparing for growth opportunities as the demand in real estate is expected to soar. Those who will be most successful are putting ESG at the centre of their agenda. Reputational drivers, increasing demand from borrowers and ESG criteria in lending decisions are a must-have for a successful portfolio. 

After COP26, businesses are being urged to implement green finance as business as usual. While having 2030, 2040 and 2050 targets are necessary, the time frames and strategy planning are distracting leaders from the urgency surrounding the issue. Unless changes are made in two years’ time, there is no chance of buildings being funded, built or occupied. Only by using green finance can the future value of assets be protected. 

In this roundtable, we will discuss: 

  • How can organisations implement green finance as BAU?
  • What are the consequences of inaction?
  • How does green finance affect the liquidity and resilience of a business?
  • How are debt providers assessing ESG activities to make lending decisions?
  • How do we identify the short-term non-financial reward on sustainable investment?

Speakers

Louise Ellison, chief commercial officer, Longevity Partners

Ellison was appointed as Longevity Partners’ global chief commercial officer in 2021. She leads the development of tailored programmes that help clients achieve their current and future ESG and climate goals. Ellison is recognised as a leader in the world of sustainable real estate. She has many years’ experience in industry and has served on a range of boards and committees, including eight years as chair of the Better Buildings Partnership.  

Gregor Bamert, head of real estate debt, Aviva Investors

Bamert leads Aviva Investors’ real estate debt teams, which are based in London, Norwich and Paris. He has responsibility for the origination, execution and ongoing management of real estate finance transactions. Prior to joining Aviva Investors, Bamert spent 14 years at Barclays, where he held a number of roles in investment and corporate banking. He has worked on capital markets, financing and advisory transactions across Europe and South Africa. He has been active in real estate finance for more than 10 years, most recently as managing director of the London real estate team within Barclays Corporate.

Cyrus Korat, partner, DRC Savills IM

Korat has more than 23 years’ experience in the real estate and debt capital markets. Prior to DRC, he was a senior investment manager at Duet Private Equity and a managing director at Merrill Lynch. Korat holds a BSc in banking and finance from Loughborough University.

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