Strategy

Holistic approach

Cofinimmo’s approach is driven by the actions it can take in relation to the building itself, rather than focusing on consumer behavior. In this way Cofinimmo aims to assume its responsibilities.

The objectives of the development activities are to construct buildings that are more energy efficient, with lower GHG emissions, low water consumption and waste production, using sustainable materials and offering a high level of safety to their occupants. With regard to the sites themselves, transport and biodiversity are also taken into account.

The methods used by Cofinimmo are compliant with European and national legislation on energy performance, the BREEAM certification method for the general sustainability aspects (Very Good is the target level for existing assets) and the ISO 14001 certification specifications, in order to choose the best compromise between sustainability and profitability on a variety of sustainability parameters.

Cofinimmo includes its activities in a wider framework and has aligned its strategy with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in advance of 2030.

Sustainability Pillars

Environmental performance

The first pillar of Cofinimmo’s sustainability strategy consists in improving the energy performance and comfort standards of its buildings, while providing a long-term environmental response to their life cycle. The main priority is to reduce the energy intensity of the portfolio in order to limit the impact on GHG emissions and climate change. Water management is also a key focus for the environmental pillar.

Development of socially responsible healthcare sites

The second pillar of Cofinimmo’s sustainability strategy consists in contributing to the development of socially responsible healthcare sites. Under this social pillar, the strategy focuses on the main stakeholders :

• meeting expectations on safety of occupants through construction choices and maintenance quality ;
• a two-way commitment to responsible supply chain relationships with a focus on on-site safety ;
• bringing added value to society through a diverse, trained and healthy workforce.

Sustainable balance

The third pillar of Cofinimmo’s sustainability strategy consists in implementing sustainability as much as possible within the limits of economic feasibility. Profitability for investors and access to capital are material to be able to operate as a sustainable company. Sustainable financial instruments provide an opportunity to meet the objectives of the EU Taxonomy Regulation and ultimately of the European Green Deal and the EU climate targets for 2030 and 2050. In accordance with its sustainability strategy, Cofinimmo intends to pursue a green and social financing policy. Specifically, the following main objectives will be pursued :

• mitigate climate change by implementing energy conservation measures and reducing GHG emissions ;
• renovate and/or expand the healthcare real estate portfolio to meet current and future needs for the housing and care of vulnerable people.

The 30³ project - Reducing the energy intensity of the portfolio

In response to the risks involved by climate change, Cofinimmo decided to scale up its environmental ambitions.The 2019 strategic thinking led to a 30% reduction (compared to the 2017 level) of the portfolio’s energy intensity by 2030, to reach 130 kWh/m².

This objective has been established following the science-based targets methodology, which enabled to objectivize the effort to be made in order to contribute to the global objective of limiting global warming to a maximum of 1.5°C. It follows on from the many sustainability initiatives conducted by Cofinimmo, and is in line with the Paris Agreement concluded at COP21.

Through the 30³ project, the group intends to take up this challenge on scopes 1 and 2 and 3 and thus maintain the value of its assets by complying with the Paris Agreement. This project is the key to achieve the objectives validated by the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi).