ALDAR REACHES NEW HEIGHTS IN TWO GLOBAL ESG BENCHMARKS
Abu Dhabi, UAE – 12 January 2022: Aldar Properties has increased its ESG ratings within two major global benchmarks, the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) and Sustainalytics, driven by a broad base of progress and improvements across its core sustainability pillars comprising environment, community, people, and economic impact. Aldar produced particularly strong gains in environmental impact monitoring, embedding environmental impacts into management reporting and decision-making processes, and launching new social impact initiatives.
This year, Aldar scored 58 points on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, representing a 53% year on year improvement from the 38 points scored in 2020. The company is now among the top 13% of the 237 global real estate companies invited to respond to the DJSI questionnaire, up from being in the top 31% last year.
In addition, Aldar received a score of 16.6 on Sustainalytics' ESG risk assessment scale, indicating a low level of ESG risk. Results are measured on a scale of 0 to 100, with a rating between 10 and 20 classified as "Low Risk". Aldar was ranked 9th in the global ranking of 107 diversified real estate companies analysed.
Aldar also maintained its BB rating in the 2021 Morgan Stanley Consumer Index (MSCI), which tracks exposure to ESG risks and how well companies manage those risks relative to peers. Aldar’s rating meets the average global rating for companies included in the list.
Aldar’s commitment to improving environmental performance was recognised by the ESG rating agencies given the development of several integral policies, group-wide energy audit project, and its recent response to the Task Force for Climate Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), all of which contributed to the improved ratings.
Aldar was also recognised in the community pillar following initiatives to ensure equal employment opportunities as part of its diversity and inclusion strategy and protecting worker rights as part of its worker welfare strategy. Improvements were also seen in the economic impact pillar as the company reduced its ESG risk through effective risk management policies and increased transparency on corporate governance.
Commenting on the improvement in ESG ratings, Chief Financial and Sustainability Officer, Greg Fewer said: “We have taken concrete steps to monitor and tackle ESG issues and risks related to climate change, energy usage, and social impact, and the latest rankings show that this approach is working. The improvement in our third party ESG scores reflects our consistent and broad integration of sustainability practices in all that we do. We believe that making business decisions that incorporate the views of multiple stakeholders and that optimize for both, near and long-term outcomes, will continue to deliver best value for Aldar’s shareholders.”
Aldar is setting the bar for real estate companies regionally, implementing sustainability initiatives across its diversified businesses at all stages of the real estate lifecycle. Aldar issues an annual sustainability report that documents its progress on a comprehensive range of salient ESG issues. The most recent sustainability report can be downloaded here:
