DGAP-News: SIGNA Development Selection AG among top 1% in industry with current ESG rating

SIGNA Development Selection AG among top 1% in industry with current ESG rating

• Excellent showing by SIGNA development business area
• Second outstanding ESG rating after SIGNA Prime
• Evaluated by rating agency Sustainalytics

Vienna, Austria; March 30, 2021 - As one of Europe's top real estate developers, SIGNA Development Selection AG (SDS) pursues sustainable and future-proof development. SDS was the second company in the SIGNA Group of Companies after SIGNA Prime Selection AG to garner a first-rate score ("low risk") in the ESG risk rating by rating agency Sustainalytics. This puts SDS in 36th place of 1,027 real estate companies assessed by Sustainalytics. In the project developer category, SDS is among the top 1% of companies rated by Sustainalytics in the industry worldwide. SDS attained a risk score of 10.6 on a scale of 0 to 100, where 0 represents a negligible ESG risk.

According to Christoph Stadlhuber, CEO of SIGNA Real Estate Austria, "We are very proud of the excellent result we achieved and our positioning as one of the most sustainable companies in our industry. In our role as a developer of sophisticated buildings and urban areas, we have the opportunity to implement a holistic sustainability approach. This is how we create living spaces for future generations that contribute significantly to decarbonizing the real estate sector thanks to methods of constructing and using buildings that conserve resources."

Sustainalytics is a leading provider of ESG data, market research, and ratings. The Sustainalytics ESG risk rating assesses sustainability risks and how the company manages them. SDS's financial risk concerning ESG factors was determined to be "low" due to its strong management of key issues and low sensitivity. In most categories such as Corporate Governance, ESG Integration - Financials, Community Relations, Product Governance, and Bribery and Corruption, SDS achieved the highest possible score ("negligible risk"). SDS's rating in terms of Human Capital and Emissions, Effluents, and Waste was also very good ("low risk").

Timo Herzberg, CEO of SIGNA Real Estate Germany, says, "We see this excellent rating as a confirmation of our activities to date and motivation for future endeavors. As a partner to cities, we work together to complete projects in urban centers that bring together major social and environmental value with profitability. We enthusiastically meet our significant responsibility to society by conducting an active dialogue with all of our stakeholders."

SIGNA Prime already awarded excellent sustainability rating

In December 2020, fellow group company SIGNA Prime Selection AG, one of Europe's largest real estate companies, was the first company in the SIGNA Group of Companies to receive an excellent ESG risk rating. With a score of 11.3 ("low risk"), SIGNA Prime was among the top 5% companies in the industry and took 44th place internationally out of 942 total real estate companies assessed by Sustainalytics.

 

About SIGNA Development Selection AG

SIGNA Development Selection AG (SDS) is one of five SIGNA Real Estate companies. SDS purchases, develops, and optimizes classic commercial and residential real estate as well as retail spaces and hotels, often as mixed-use properties, and entire uraban areas in economically strong urban centers in Germany, Austria, and Northern Italy. The company follows a buy/develop/sell strategy.

In 2020 the gross asset value was valued at €4.1b. Since the company was founded in 2014, SDS has operated successfully and grown profitably year after year in a dynamic market environment. This has made SDS one of Europe's largest project development companies.

SDS's porfolio includes development projects in Berlin such as UP!, STREAM, Schönhauser 9 and BEAM, which in the future will provide modern office and retail spaces at central locations in the German capital. In Austria, the PARKAPARTMENTS AM BELVEDERE, which are located in one of Europe's largest urban development districts, the Andaz Vienna Am Belvedere Hotel, and the BEL & MAIN Vienna are among a series of sophisticated, urban real estate developments.

SIGNA plays a major role in developing cities, concentrating not only on individual properties but rethinking concepts such as urban development, sustainability, multi-use buildings, networking, and mobility. For livable cities - for us all. Additional information available at www.signa.at.

 

Contact

SIGNA

Robert Leingruber

Head of Politics & PR

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +43 1 5329848-0