Sadaf Askari comments in EG: How to find the best framework for sustainability

Sadaf joined sustainability leads from Grosvenor, Stanhope and TFT at the event at private bank Coutts, to discuss how real estate can improve its response to environmental, social and governance needs.

In particular, they explored whether the B Corp global certification goes far enough, or whether a self-defined approach might be more effective. The panel felt that B Corp is an instantly recognisable seal of approval, and effective in communicating environmental strategies, but does not offer ‘bespoke’ options tailored to the size and scope of organisations.

Sadaf agreed that B Corp was a useful governance tool but also questioned whether it was a suitable first step for companies in the early stages of their ESG journey.

“You would first do materiality assessments on environmental, social and governance to understand what the requirements are for your organisation or sector, What are you doing well in-house? What are the things you are not doing well and how can you improve? Then you would look at frameworks and strategies,” she said.

The panel then agreed that in the next iteration of B Corp (rolling out in 2026) will likely become tougher to attain, expecting tougher assessments and minimum scores, to avoid potential accusations of green-washing.

Read the full round-up of the discussion at EG here.