Actively Working with Sustainability: What are the Rewards? : Rewards, Premiums and the Future of Sustainability

Abstract: Global warming is becoming an increasingly pressured problem for the climate and worldeconomy. The trend and importance of sustainability is growing and is a heavily researchedarea. Real estate accounts for approximately 40% of global energy consumption and 33% ofcarbon emissions. Naturally, the potential and significance of sustainability is an increasinglyimportant topic within the sector.On the foundation of global climate change, this thesis aims to uncover the financial benefitsof active sustainability work for listed real estate companies on the Stockholm StockExchange. Previous research within the field has focused heavily on tangible sustainabilitywork and the effects on the property level rather than the company level by primarily usingquantitative research methods. This paper combines a quantitative and qualitative researchmethod to dig deeper into the market's view of financial effects given to real estate companiesworking actively with sustainability.The study commenced with a panel data regression model analysis where a dummy for activesustainability work in the form of membership in the organisation GRESB was used todetermine the financial effects of active sustainability work on the daily total return index.GRESB guides members in their work with sustainability where membership indicates a willto improve. Results landed in a random effects model which showed that GRESB is positiveand significant for daily total return index, explaining 3% of development. Results from thequantitative study were used in the qualitative research method when designing an interviewguide for semi-structured interviews.It can be concluded that active sustainability work has positive effects on the total return oflisted real estate companies in Sweden. Sustainability work differs in its effectiveness andsuitability depending on the real estate companies size and core business area. GRESB islikely to be an umbrella for other sustainability-related factors and future research shouldexpand the number of sustainability variables used for analysis. There is no universal workmodel for sustainability and every organisation needs to design their sustainability strategywith regards to their business. Organisations seeking sustainability rewards should aim to domore than the minimum needed; real estate companies at the top of sustainability brackets arethe ones receiving the highest portion of the rewards.