Environment

Nrep’s Ripple Residence is a residential development in Copenhagen’s Nordhavn district that explores the commercial viability of low-carbon construction. The project features timber as the primary building material, targeted use of upcycled components, and an integrated energy system combining geothermal, solar, and smart controls. It achieves embodied emissions of 250 kgCO₂e/m² and operational emissions in line with CRREM pathways until 2050. Supported by DGNB certifications and green financing, the project shows that low-carbon housing can align with evolving regulatory requirements while remaining commercially competitive.

a.s.r. real estate is advancing towards a net zero residential portfolio by 2045 through Paris Proof renovations. Guided by CRREM-aligned roadmaps, the Fund combines deep retrofits, renewable energy generation, and tenant engagement to reduce emissions and energy use. A successful pilot in Houten, now scaled across multiple dwellings, demonstrates how holistic, data-driven strategies can transform existing assets into future-proof, high-performance homes.

The CubeHouse is Amsterdam’s first hybrid-timber office building, developed on the last available plot in the South-Axis CBD. Designed as the future Dutch headquarters for BNP Paribas and Arcadis, the project combines structural innovation with ambitious ESG goals. Using 13,000 m³ of sustainable timber storing 9,000 tonnes of CO₂, the building minimises embodied carbon while targeting Paris-proof performance, BREEAM Excellent and WELL Gold. With a rooftop garden, shared mobility hub and smart building systems, CubeHouse sets a new benchmark for sustainable workplaces in the Netherlands.

Amro Partners delivered Salamanca’s first BREEAM Outstanding student residence, balancing historic preservation with cutting-edge sustainability. The 170-bed scheme retained its early 1900s façade while introducing a fossil-free, high-performance building envelope. Achieving EPC ‘A’, Fitwel 3 Stars and WiredScore Platinum, it reduces operational carbon by 88% and brings embodied carbon close to 2030 LETI targets, setting a new benchmark for sustainable living in Spain.

The case study details the development of Innocent Drinks’ energy-neutral factory in Rotterdam, designed by Deerns. The facility integrates sustainable features, including a solar park, wind turbines, and efficient energy systems, achieving BREEAM-NL Outstanding and WELL Platinum certifications. Producing 400 million bottles annually, it reduces transportation miles by 25% and CO₂ emissions by 10%. This innovative approach highlights effective collaboration and sustainability in industrial design.

The Malinas Retail Park in Mechelen, Belgium, developed by Mitiska REIM, is Europe’s first CO2-neutral retail park. Achieving BREEAM 'Excellent' certification, its sustainable features include solar panels generating 2.85 MWp, green façades, permeable paving, and rainwater management systems. The park also promotes biodiversity, creating 254 jobs and providing eco-friendly infrastructure like EV charging stations. Opened fully let in 2021, it reflects the demand for accessible, sustainable retail solutions.

The Elithis Danube Tower in Strasbourg is the world’s first energy-positive residential building, generating more energy than it consumes through solar panels and smart design. Completed in 2018, this 17-story, 63-apartment tower emphasizes sustainability, affordability, and comfort, offering near-zero energy bills and reduced CO₂ emissions. Residents use a Smart Home App to monitor and optimize energy usage. The project demonstrates that sustainable construction can be cost-effective and scalable, inspiring plans for 100 similar towers by 2030.

User manual for the CRREM Risk Assessment Tool V2: This Reference Guide accompanies the CRREM Carbon Risk Assessment Tool for the Global Commercial & Residential Real Estate Industry. 

The guide provides an overall instruction on how the CRREM tool should be applied, as well as indepth guidance into the user input variables for the tool, user adjustable variables, default data underlying the tool and resulting output figures on property and portfolio level.

IPUT Real Estate redefined sustainable retrofit practice with the transformation of 25 North Wall Quay in Dublin. This landmark redevelopment delivered IPUT’s first net zero office, achieving a 60% reduction in embodied carbon and 70% energy savings while retaining 75% of the original structure. Completed in Q1 2025, the project demonstrates how circular economy principles and close occupier collaboration can meet ambitious environmental, operational, and wellness goals without demolition.

Realterm engaged Longevity Partners to assess the feasibility of implementing Nature-based Solutions (NbS) across a number of assets in the Netherlands, in response to climate risks including drought, flooding, and soil degradation. The study evaluated green infrastructure options specific to each site, incorporating legislative, technical, and ecological considerations. Based on this analysis, Longevity Partners developed tailored NbS recommendations and a practical design guide. Initial measures implemented include rainwater reuse systems and biodiversity enhancements such as birdhouses and bee boxes. The initiative supports Realterm’s ESG+R strategy by strengthening asset-level climate resilience and aligning with emerging regulatory frameworks.

abrdn's AIPUT faced challenges in meeting the UK’s Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements for its Heathrow developments. The solution involved creating a biodiversity bank on a 30-hectare greenfield site. This area, initially agricultural land, was converted into a habitat, generating BNG credits for use in the fund's developments. The project also contributed to carbon offsetting and community rewilding. Although market conditions led to a shift away from the BNG proposals, the model showed potential for future biodiversity and carbon credit initiatives within abrdn’s wider portfolio.

APG implemented a biodiversity risk assessment across its global real estate portfolio to address biodiversity loss. This analysis, using data from leading conservation organisations, highlighted areas of protected habitats, priority species, and critical conservation needs. Conducting the analysis for APG’s Amsterdam office serves as an illustrative example of how these type of assessments can be of value, even in urbanised areas. Despite its urban nature, the region around Amsterdam demonstrates significant biodiversity value and conservation potential.The insights from the analysis help APG develop targeted conservation strategies and integrate biodiversity considerations into investment decisions​.

Bourn Quarter, a 25-acre business park, transformed a former WW2 airfield site with innovative biodiversity initiatives. These included insect hotels, bird boxes and over 2,500 native trees and shrubs. A sustainable urban drainage system supports local species and manages runoff. The site minimises light pollution to protect local wildlife like the Barbastelle bat. This green infrastructure, alongside wildflower seeding, has created a thriving natural habitat, enhancing both biodiversity and the area's aesthetic appeal​.

With the construction of a new shopping center on a plot covered by grassland, KLP Eiendom wished to reduce the project’s negative impact on local biodiversity. KLP Eiendom's Fornebu S shopping center in Oslo incorporates a green roof that recreates a rare local habitat, "dry calcareous grassland," enhancing biodiversity. The roof consists of 84 native plant species and beehives and  provides a vital “green corridor, helping to protect the local biotope after the conversion of significant natural land into a built environment. It mitigates physical climate risks by absorbing water during torrential rain, reducing stress on storm drains. The green roof helps keep the building cool during extreme heat. Furthermore, it enhances the visual appeal for residents in surrounding apartment buildings.