At the international real estate fair Expo Real in Munich, the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) presented the successful ESG verification for 60 buildings belonging to Real I.S. AG, BayernLB's real estate specialist. This confirms the taxonomy compliance of a significant portion of the portfolio. Franz Krewel, a member of the Management Board of Real I.S. AG, accepted the certificate. The DGNB highlighted the number of properties simultaneously awarded as exceptional.
The DGNB's ESG verification represents a standardised service valid across Europe. It is based on the current criteria of the EU Taxonomy and additionally includes labour and social standards as well as the "Good Governance" of the companies involved. On behalf of the 60 properties, Prof. Amandus Samsøe Sattler, President of the DGNB, handed over the certificate of conformity for Europe Plaza in Stuttgart.
Example Property Europe Plaza
Europe Plaza in Stuttgart, an office property completed in 2017 in a central location close to the main railway station, comprises approximately 27,000 square metres of gross floor area and has energy efficiency class A. The property was comprehensively assessed for climate and vulnerability risks. It is equipped with an energy management system that documents and analyses consumption and automatically implements optimisation potential.
Franz Krewel emphasised the importance of taxonomy screening: "Through taxonomy screening, we can demonstrate, using valid – ESG-verified – data, that our properties exhibit high energy efficiency, are sustainable in the long term, and are resilient to acute and chronic climate risks. This is crucial – for our internal management strategies, but above all for our investors." He added that the EU Taxonomy will play a central role in classifying financial market products as part of the reform of the Disclosure Regulation. ESG verification already underpins the quality of the portfolio and the economic value of sustainability today.
Methodology and Review Process
Real I.S. began taxonomy screening its portfolio as early as 2025. Key elements of this detailed review included examining the energy performance of the properties and conducting a climate risk and vulnerability analysis. In collaboration with the planning and consulting firm Arcadis, the resilience of the buildings to extreme events and long-term climate changes was evaluated. The results were then submitted to the DGNB for independent ESG verification. All submitted properties were confirmed by the DGNB as compliant with the criteria of the EU Taxonomy regarding their contribution to climate protection or their adaptation to climate change.
