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Centre of excellence for sustainability in the real estate industry Prof. Dr. Sven Bienert MRICS

Altered user requirements, new laws and changing environmental conditions are influencing investment decisions, leasing decisions and financial decisions in the international real estate market more and more. An early sensitisation for the necessity of an integral orientation for sustainability has become essential for securing competitive advantages for all market actors. An interdisciplinary view on real estates and real estate companies is inevitable to accommodate the emerging demand for sustainability in all parts of the real estate industry.

The centre of excellence for sustainability in the real estate industry picks up this influence gaining subject and examines the role of it from a practice-oriented point of view in the context of the climatic and social changes. The comprehension for sustainability equates to principle of the Triple Bottom Line. Possible starting-points from ecologic, economic and sociocultural aspects are analysed on their object and enterprise level and discussed on their practical relevance. Particularly the influence and the importance of the different rating and reporting systems are studied scientifically.

Research topics

3-staged approach of the centre of excellence

• Identify and understand: e.g. effects of the climate change and the consumption of resources on the real estate industry, intergenerational challenges, Sustainability Due Diligence
• Avoid and adapt: e.g. CSR/ESG/GRI for real estate companies, sustainability review, Life Cycle Costing
• Change and innovate: e.g. creation of and sustainability benchmarking, standardisation of verification standards (DGNB, LEED, BREEAM), further developments of Green Leases

Educational objectives

Goal of the interdisciplinary course is to enable the students, given the very young scientific field, to develop creative methods for problem solving for the real estate industry.

The early sensitisation future decision makers is very important for the whole sector, because via the dissolution of the apparent conflict of goals between ecology, economy and social justness a contribution to the intergenerational fairness and to the global climate protection is provided.