We counteract climate change by investing in gas-free and energy-neutral property. By focusing on Paris-Proof real estate, we are creating real value for life.

Responsibility toward the energy transition

Energy efficient and energy neutral buildings keep their value and deliver higher returns both for investors and for society at large. The users benefit from low energy costs and greater comfort, and Bouwinvest benefits from creating environments in which people want to live, work and enjoy leisure. This, in turn, gives us a greater guarantee of stable income for our clients.

Another important reason to invest in reducing energy usage is the energy transition - a key part of combating climate change.  This is a challenge which involves all of us and which is being made concrete in international agreements, regulations and laws. Bouwinvest wants to play its part in realising these ambitions, and if possible, to go beyond them.

Investing in reducing energy usage is not only a question of taking responsibility for the energy transition.

We see it as a pre-condition to ensure long-term returns for our clients.

Paris Proof targets

The climate targets reached in Paris in 2015 are key in the Netherlands and we have agreed that by 2050, we will only use renewable sources of energy. But the amount of sustainable energy available is likely to be around one third of present requirements. This means we will have to build greener buildings as well. Paris-Proof real estate is energy efficient and does not use gas.

Bouwinvest works with a Paris-Proof road map, in which we look at what we need to do to realise a Paris-Proof portfolio at both a fund, and at individual building level. The first trajectory is to adapt our current buildings.  We invest in proper wall and roof insulation and use the latest technologies for climate control, heating and lighting. The energy which our buildings do use is generated by sustainable methods. The second trajectory involves influencing the behaviour of our tenants and users, because they too can make a difference, no matter how sustainable a building actually is.

'Tuinen van Sion', Rijswijk Buiten, The Netherlands

Our Rijswijk Buiten project is a worthy illustration of our approach to energy efficiency. Scheduled for completion in 2023, this residential development will be energy neutral.

The apartments are equipped with

  • Solar panels plus a heat pump and boiler

  • Triple glazing, high levels of wall and door insulation

  • Waste water heat recovery systems

  • LED lighting in communal areas with movement sensors

  • Sustainable wood with FSC/PEFC labelling. 

Celebrating success

We invest in energy-efficient buildings and use a wide variety of instruments to keep the energy use in our buildings low. For example, we have made considerable progress in improving the energy efficiency of WTC Rotterdam, and have signed a deal to cut energy use at WTC The Hague by 10 kWh/m2 in two years. 

In total, 98% of our Dutch portfolio has energy label A, B or C. We are reducing emissions stemming from the use of gas, we are buying certified green energy and opting for sustainable energy sources, such as solar panels, heat pumps and geothermal heating systems. 

Heritage real estate such as The Garage and Move in Amsterdam have been redeveloped into sustainable office spaces. In Gouda, a districting shopping centre has been modernised and the shops made gas-free. More than 40% of our Residential Fund properties do not use gas and the Bouwinvest Hotel Fund is considered to be the most sustainable in the world.

In addition, we work at a building-level with tenants and users to try to limit their actual energy usage through green rental contracts in which we make agreements about making the property more energy efficient.

Contact

Bas Jochims
Fund Manager Dutch Office & Hotel Investments

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