The EC's proposal to boost the EU’s 2030 emissions reduction target from 40% to "at least 55%" will be fought by industries and governments.  Brussels is proposing a major overhaul of EU climate policy that will reform rules for the forestry and agriculture sectors and expand the Emissions Trading System to also cover ...

Blockchain technology recasts conventional approaches to sustainable development and accelerates SDG progress – if deployed responsibly.  The three areas where blockchain could be an SDG game changer are (1) building resilient and transparent supply chains; (2) creating stronger and more accountable public institutions ...

Governments should adopt a supply chain tax policy where the cost of greening or subsidizing the negative impact of carbon emission is high.  While firms decide on the greenness level of the product, governments decide on the adoption of a supply chain tax policy (taxation or subsidy) to maximize the welfare of society ...

The Sustainable Hospitality Alliance is advocating immediate adoption of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).  This alliance of 14 of the world's leading hotel companies is taking collective responsibility to ensure that destinations and communities are being supported and protected now and for f ...

Sustainability is the carrying out of economic activity without depleting resources or having harmful impacts now or for future generations.  Sustainability in building developments must be considered from the very earliest stages, as the potential environmental impacts are considerable.  Once the decision to erect a n ...

SIGNA Real Estate has adopted the ESG principles of sustainable development and is committed to responsible corporate management.  As one of Europe’s major real estate investors, SIGNA takes economic, environmental and social aspects systematically into account in business decisions and the value-creation processes.  T ...

Developers are adopting strategies to identify opportunities to benefit from improved environmental, social and economic (ESG) performance.  The financing of sustainable development projects can be achieved through such financing circularity as green bonds, green loans, sustainability-linked loans and circular leasing. ...

The Brickvest flash survey asks whether investors would like to see more real asset investment opportunities with stronger ESG credentials.  It encourages investors to express their concern about the amount of real asset opportunities that do not meet our ESG requirements.  Alternatively, you can voice your opinion tha ...

Land accounting is needed for land-related policies that aim to address climate, biodiversity, socio-economic and other sustainability challenges.  The EEA’s interactive land cover dashboard shows land cover stocks in Europe by country, year of observation and other parameters.  The EEA’s approach to environmental acco ...

To win over investors, companies must pay more attention to ESG concerns and integrate ESG practices into business strategy and operations.  Companies must do more than issue sustainability reports and engage in other standard ESG practices.  To build long-term profitability, a compelling corporate purpose should under ...

The highest return on the investment (ROI) can be realized when the issues of the various stakeholders are considered for their feasibility assessment throughout the project's whole life cycle.  The financial feasibility study (FFS) determines if or confirms that a development project is potentially profitable and shou ...

Sustainable development is the responsible use of productive resources in a development project or undertaking to safeguard long-term environmental, social and economic sustainability.  Sustainable development is adopted to provide lasting socio-economic benefit to all project stakeholders without compromising the abil ...

Sustainable hospitality calls for hotels to respect cultural values, engage in fair-market competitiveness, support local businesses and community, and provide good labor conditions.  Hotel companies and operators implement sustainable practices while increasing profitability.  Hotels are designed according to sustaina ...

ESG risk is the possibility of suffering a negative impact on a company arising from environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors.  Sustainability risk (SR) is an ESG event or condition that could have a negative impact on the value of a financial product.  Besides the risk of greenwashing, there are several chal ...

The built environment – residential and commercial real estate and infrastructure development – accounts for around 13% of the world’s GDP.  Research shows the construction materials comprise 50%-60% of the total cost in construction projects.  When sourcing materials, companies need to consider their environmental imp ...