Bentall Kennedy has run its streak to seven years atop the Canadian rankings of the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB).

The company ranked as the No. 1 diversified firm in Canada, second among diversified private firms in North American and third among diversified private firms around the world in the 2017 survey.

GRESB ranks participating companies and funds on sustainability performance in a number of environmental, social and governance categories, including management practices, reductions in energy, water and waste consumption, green building certifications, and engagement programs with employees and tenants.

In addition to Bentall Kennedy’s GRESB stature, for the third year in a row MEPT/MEPT Edgemoor LP, the U.S. core open end fund strategy advised by Bentall Kennedy, is the No. 1 fund globally in its peer group (diversified – residential/office). 

The 2017 GRESB survey

The 2017 GRESB survey included 850 entities (up 12 per cent from 2016) covering 77,000 (+16.7 per cent) assets with an aggregate value of US$3.7 trillion (+32 per cent).

“Consistently achieving top global rankings from GRESB validates our approach to investing sustainably in real estate and affirms the critical role that sustainability plays in generating strong performance over the long term,” said Gary Whitelaw, Bentall Kennedy’s CEO. “The 2017 GRESB results acknowledge the commitment of Bentall Kennedy’s clients, tenants and employees to leading the way in sustainability.”

GRESB lists 204 participants in its North American region, with assets valued at about US$2.3 trillion. The other members are spread across Europe (433), Asia (124), Australia and New Zealand (66) and other areas of the globe.

“GRESB congratulates Bentall Kennedy on its outstanding leadership in sustainability.  The reason why Bentall Kennedy manages to replicate its incredible performance year after year is because they have made sustainability an integrated part of their business,” said Roxana Isaiu, Director, ESG & Real Estate GRESB. “From the corporate leadership, across the asset managers, leasing teams and property managers, the Bentall Kennedy team redefines tenant engagement and pushes the boundaries of responsible investment with great results.”

About Bentall Kennedy

Bentall Kennedy is a Sun Life Investment Management company. It is one of the largest global real estate investment advisors and one of North America’s foremost providers of real estate services. Bentall Kennedy serves more than 550 institutional clients with expertise in office, retail, industrial and multi-residential assets throughout Canada and the U.S.

Bentall Kennedy’s Investment Management group has approximately Cdn$46 billion of assets under management. Bentall Kennedy is one of the largest real estate services providers in Canada, managing 58 million square feet for third-party and investment management clients.