“Transformative, enterprise-wide ESG programs in all sectors of real estate can be one of the best ways to reduce carbon emissions, accrete value, and demonstrate reputational value,” he says. The growth in ESG in recent years is fueled by multiple drivers, including consumer shifts, regulatory requirements, trillions of dollars of wealth transferring to GenZ and Millennials committed to philanthropic living (not giving), a blurring of work and societal expectations, and a full sprint to attract and retain top talent. Michel Coulliard, global chair of the Counselors of Real Estate, notes high-profile instances of judiciary and shareholder pressure on companies, and also reports, “In 2020, ESG funds more than doubled net new money intakes, capturing $51.1 billion. 3 among the 10 top issues affecting real estate in its own new report. The Counselors of Real Estate finds ESG at No. metros above Grand Rapids, Michigan, and its fellow Ohio metro Cincinnati (where substantial roles are played by portions of the metro in Kentucky and Indiana).Ĭorporations are integrating as fast as they can. Greater Toledo, Ohio, ranks first among U.S. Illinois, California, Michigan and New York lead the U.S. The results and the criteria attached to them are displayed in the charts on these pages, with Germany, Canada and the United States topping our Top 10 countries. In addition to renewable energy metrics, we cross-reference our corporate facility investments database with CSRHub’s deep research into companies’ corporate social responsibility profiles to see where high-CSR firms have the most presence. We tally LEED-certified buildings, but we also add up brownfield redevelopment funding that’s turning homely plots of poisoned land into usable, livable property. We don’t just count solar farms, but the locations and expansions of the plants that build them. That’s why Site Selection’s annual Sustainability Rankings go beyond the cosmetic.

Real green progress isn’t always photogenic. Photo of Apple solar farm courtesy of Apple

Global sustainable cities rankings