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The Building Research Establishment (BRE) has today announced that Vesteda, a Dutch residential investor has achieved the single largest real estate sustainability certification in the world, through BRE’s leading certification scheme, BREEAM.
In just under a year, all of Vesteda’s portfolio – 27,500 homes in the Netherlands – has obtained sustainability certification through a BREEAM In-Use scheme, which Vesteda helped BRE to develop.
Vesteda collaborated with BRE and the Dutch Green Building Council (DGBC) to develop the scheme, called BREEAM NL In-Use Residential V6 scheme. The BREEAM scheme is a modified certification that allows property investors like Vesteda to assess various sustainability aspects of an asset and provides them with a benchmark for comparison with other properties.
“The development of BREEAM NL In-Use Residential V6 scheme will enable more companies to meet their sustainability goals. This is a hugely positive outcome for a leading property investor and we hope to see more companies follow suit.” – Gillian Charlesworth CEO at BRE.
By assessing its portfolio under the BREEAM-NL In-Use framework, Vesteda’s efforts to enhance the sustainability of its assets were guided and validated by BREEAM’s holistic approach to third-party sustainability verification. Benefits of the framework include reducing waste and raw materials, limiting the use of fossil fuels, and encouraging clean air.
Vesteda’s ambition to achieve sustainability across its entire property portfolio reflects its commitment to providing healthy homes for residents and delivering responsible investments with healthy returns for investors, in line with BREEAM’s purpose.
BRE Chief Executive Gillian Charlesworth said: “Today’s news is a major milestone for Vesteda, as well as the global real estate sector. When it comes to driving sustainability in the built environment. Vesteda has set a clear precedent for other property investors and markets with its achievement while its support on the development of BREEAM-NL In-Use Residential V6 will enable more companies to meet their sustainability goals. This is a hugely positive outcome for a leading property investor and we hope to see more companies follow suit.
Stephan de Bie, Sustainability Programme Manager at Vesteda, added: “We worked hard with our partners to certify our entire portfolio in one go and we are very pleased with the result. The BREEAM-NL certificates give us greater insight into the sustainability performance of our residential complexes, both in terms of energy use and in other areas, such as accessibility, use of materials and biodiversity.”
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About Building Research Establishment (BRE)
BRE is a world leading, multi-disciplinary, building science centre with a mission to improve buildings and infrastructure, through cutting-edge research and knowledge generation. BRE maintains a range of products, services, standards and qualifications that are used around the world to bring about positive change in the built environment.
About Vesteda
Vesteda is a real estate investor with a portfolio of 27,500 assets situated in the Netherlands and focuses on residential assets in the mid-rental segment. Vesteda invests funds for institutional investors, such as pension funds and insurers, and their homes are mainly located in economically strong and core urban regions of the country.
About BREEAM
BREEAM is the world’s leading science-based suite of validation and certification systems for sustainable built environment. Since 1990, BREEAM’s third-party certified standards have helped improve asset performance at every stage, from design through construction, to use and refurbishment. Millions of buildings across the world are registered to work towards BREEAM’s holistic approach to achieve ESG, health, and net zero goals. It is owned by BRE – a profit-for-purpose organisation with over 100 years of building science and research background.