In the context of a seminar entitled "Impact Investing and ESG Due Diligence", we, Alpha IC, are supporting the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences in a joint study project so that the students can apply what they have learned in a practical way. For this purpose, we are cooperating in this project with the two partner companies Deka Immobilien and ZBI (Zentral Boden Immobilien Gruppe). In addition to the information required for the assignment, the students were allowed to visit the properties and ask their questions as part of a Q&A process.
In working through the assignment, students answered questions such as: which decarbonization measures should be prioritized based on a cost-benefit perspective for an existing property? And which ESG measures are particularly effective in shifting the stranding point of a property "backwards"? In the process, they are also working out how appropriate ESG measures differ between commercial and residential properties.
In two groups, the students are currently examining one office property and one residential quarter managed by the two partner companies. Among other things, the students simulate an ESG due diligence including a measurement & assessment of the risks (ESG Risk Assessment) and conduct a stranded asset scenario analysis. Furthermore, suitable green building certifications for the respective building types will be reviewed and selected based on a BREEAM pre-audit.
The seminar "Impact Investing and ESG Due Diligence" is supervised by Prof. Dr. Jonas Hahn at the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences and offered for the two Bachelor programs "Real Estate and Facility Management" and "Real Estate and Integral Building Technology". We are very pleased to be able to share our expertise with the students in regular coordination meetings and impulse lectures. Here, Piera Walter, our Senior Consultant in ESG & CSR, introduces students to our approach to ESG management. Patrick Mahler, our Green Building expert, presents the use of a calculation tool to locate the project on the EU decarbonization pathway.
Here's what Piera Walter has to say about the joint study project:
Piera Walter, Alpha IC GmbH: "We are happy to give young people a practical insight and help them to sensitize stakeholders to the issue of sustainability in the real estate sector and help them to become drivers of the issue in the (further) development of measures and solutions for the building sector."
Quotations from those involved in the project about working together on the project:
o Prof. Dr. Hahn: "In degree programs like ours, we shape the competence profiles of future professionals in the real estate industry. In order to effectively prepare them for upcoming challenges, it is all the more important to anchor the topic of ESG at a very early stage. I started the study project in the knowledge that not all the political guidelines had been defined at the beginning and that the learning curve for the students would be particularly steep. It is all the more gratifying that they were able to work on the project in such a practical way, with valuable input from consulting and using real objects."
o Gunnar Dallwitz, ZBI Group: "The ESG topic is gaining importance in the real estate industry every day. It is very complex and represents an enormous challenge in the sensible conception and implementation of the necessary measures. We are eagerly awaiting the project results and the possible perspectives for the neighborhood we have selected, which may provide important food for thought for us and for our future planning."
o Johannes Hermanns, Deka Immobilien: "We see the seminar as an opportunity to promote innovation in the real estate industry. It is particularly interesting to link our expertise in the area of sustainability strategies with the scientific work of the students. As a global investment company, we face particular challenges in the area of ESG. Introducing students to these topics in a practical way and working on them together is a win-win situation for everyone involved. "
The seminar is now on the home stretch: At the end of October, the mid-term tests were presented and in January, the seminar paper will be handed in and presented in a joint meeting with all project participants. We are looking forward to the results and perspectives of the students and would like to thank all project participants for the good cooperation! Another thank you goes to Dr. Jens Hirsch from BuildingMinds for his impulse on ESG platforms. We wish the students all the best for their professional and personal future and are looking forward to their further development!
