Strategic Sustainability Management
Environmental, social and governance considerations are embedded in almost all areas of Aareal Bank Group’s business. The Group’s management of ESG topics includes, among others, qualitative and quantitative ESG target-setting at Group-level, ESG risk management activities, and the provision of ESG-compliant products for both the asset and liability sides of the business.
Overall responsibility for Aareal Bank Group’s sustainability strategy lies with the Chairman of Aareal Bank AG’s Management Board. ESG-related topics are regularly discussed in Management Board and Supervisory Board meetings.
The Group Sustainability Officer, who reports directly to the Chairman of Aareal Bank AG’s Management Board, is responsible for the central coordination of sustainability management activities.
The "ESG & Innovation" organisational unit was set up to further develop Group-wide sustainability activities. The unit is assigned to the central “Strategy and Corporate Development” division, reflecting the increasing strategic relevance of ESG issues for Aareal Bank Group's sustainable business success. The “ESG & Innovation” unit acts as a central point of contact for internal and external stakeholders and ensures that Aareal Bank Group's sustainability performance is communicated transparently to clients, investors and other interest groups. The unit also represents Aareal Bank Group in specialised committees and working groups. It is supported in its work by topic experts seated in different departments across Aareal Bank AG.
Group-wide sustainability activities at Aareal Bank AG are coordinated internally via the “ESG Expert Committee”, which typically meets on a monthly basis. The committee is chaired by the Group Sustainability Officer and serves as a cross-divisional body for addressing ESG-related topics of strategic relevance by Aareal Bank AG's ESG experts. The committee also reviews new regulatory developments in Aareal Bank AG's ESG environment and promotes interdisciplinary dialogue between specialist departments in the ESG context.
