🌍 Top 5 ESG Trends Shaping Commercial Real Estate in 2026 From tightening sustainability regulations to cutting-edge reporting automation, ESG is now central to every property investment and operation strategy. Our latest Rhino blog explores the five key trends redefining real estate’s sustainability agenda for 2026 and beyond: regulatory compliance, data automation, tenant engagement, carbon reduction, and more. Discover how these shifts will impact your portfolio and how Rhino helps you stay ahead with accurate, real-time utility data for full ESG compliance. 👉 Read the full guide here: https://lnkd.in/eXn22KPZ #ESG #RealEstateSustainability #DataAutomation #2026 #ESG2026

In conversations about #ESG, one misconception I often see is the assumption of a straight line: more sustainability effort equals more financial return. In reality, the relationship is far more nuanced. From what I have seen, and what recent ESG-return analyses also highlight, the financial impact of sustainability in #realestate is nonlinear. Early initiatives create quick wins by attracting tenants, buyers, and investors who value visible change. Midway through, however, costs rise. #Retrofitting entire portfolios, embedding green building standards, or overhauling supply chains can be expensive and may not deliver immediate returns. Yet when developers push through this stage, integrating ESG into #design, #operations, and #communityplanning, the payoff is clear: higher valuations, premium rents, and long-term resilience. This is why I believe sensitivity matters. In real estate, ESG-linked returns are not about doing more; it is about crossing the right thresholds at the right time. Credibility, trust, and genuine alignment with stakeholder expectations are what turn #sustainability from a cost center into a #value driver. For #investors, this means moving beyond box-ticking metrics. For #developers and #operators, it means embedding ESG deeply enough to survive the mid-stage dip and unlock the competitive advantages at the top of the curve. It comes down to knowing when to lean in, when to consolidate, and how to turn each stage into momentum for the next. In my view, that is the foundation of #sustainableadvantage in real estate. #realestateinvesting #realestatedevelopment #propertymanagement #sustainabledevelopment #marketanalysis #investmentstrategies #financialmodeling #riskassessment #commercialrealestate #urbanplanning 

Commitment to achieve agreed UN sustainability targets must be genuine and a strategy devised early enough in the concept design phase of any new build project to avoid expensive and less effective retrofit options if ESG targets are a genuine aspiration, rather than an attempt at ‘greenwashing’ which is becoming all too common. It is highly likely that anything not designed and built to an excellent recognised and credible sustainability standard (say, USGBC LEED, Passivhaus etc) in this day and age will have to go through an incredibly expensive retro fit to future standards at sometime in the building’s lifetime, creating a potential serious financial liability and consequently damaging the assets value and attractiveness as well as releasing unnecessarily high levels of greenhouse gases and increasing OPEX. The problem doesn’t seem to be the availability of technology or good architects who know how to embed these technologies into their designs, but rather the problem seems to be seems to be a lack of industry leaders who have the vision to recognise the value of truly sustainable buildings and are willing to commit to these standards early in the development cycle rather than simply play lip service to ESG and hope for the best.

The global Commercial Real Estate landscape is showing cautious optimism — yet investors remain selective and strategic. 💡 Key Highlights: 1️⃣ Capital is moving—but carefully. Investors are targeting resilient sectors like industrial, logistics, and data centers, while secondary offices remain under pressure. 2️⃣ Refinancing challenges are mounting as the “maturity wall” approaches, especially for assets facing high vacancy or outdated infrastructure. 3️⃣ ESG and energy efficiency are shaping investment value—green retrofits and sustainability metrics are now key differentiators. 4️⃣ Hybrid work is here to stay, with companies rethinking space utilization and employee experience. 5️⃣ Private credit continues to rise as traditional financing tightens, fueling new deal structures. ⚠️ Outlook: Selectivity, adaptability, and sustainability remain the pillars for success in 2025’s CRE market. #CommercialRealEstate #CREInsights #GlobalRealEstate #InvestmentTrends #Sustainability #RealEstateMarkets #BusinessDevelopment

The same retrofit can look like a bad investment—or a clear win—depending on how you look at the financials. Across the cases we’ve modeled, utility savings alone rarely justified the investment. The story only comes together when you add: ▶️ Compliance fines avoided ▶️ Incentives and rebates captured ▶️ NOI protected through tenant comfort and leasing velocity ▶️ Exit value created by all of the above. Put those factors into the model, and what looked like a sustainability cost center becomes a credible value-add strategy. Here’s the real insight: different stakeholders want to see transition plans in different ways. Some care about IRR, others care about performance standards, and some will only move if you show exit value. If you want boards and investment committees to back the transition, you can’t just model it from a sustainability lens; you have to translate it into the language that your audience already uses. 👉 I’ll be diving deeper into how to do this in the next newsletter. Subscribe here: https://bit.ly/40TkmRJ #DecarbDebrief #NOI #Sustainability #SustainableRealEstate

I wanted to highlight a recent article published by one of our team members Carl Brooks and our partners Deepki on how property managers are building operational resilience: https://lnkd.in/dBZCkJz2 The article starts with reminding us that buildings account for up to 40% of all GHG emissions globally. As I've addressed before, #CRE has a significant role to play in addressing this reality. For those of you not familiar with our business model, we drive a significant amount of our business by managing properties for building owners and investors. As a result, Property Management is a high priority focus area for our #sustainability work.    The paper explores how CBRE addresses sustainability in three key ways: 1. Identifying Physical Climate Risk: Using AI and platforms like Deepki and Climate X to assess vulnerabilities—from flooding to extreme heat—and develop adaptation strategies. 2. Embedding Sustainability: Sustainability is core to our CBRE Property Management business. The article discusses how our teams turn data into action, reduce emissions and improve asset performance. 3. Harnessing Data: Sustainability metrics can help our partners benchmark performance, meet regulatory requirements, plan #NetZero pathways, and make investment decisions that create value. The business benefits on driving value creation are straightforward: Resilient buildings command higher rents and attract capital. Properties that ignore climate risk can face an uncertain future. I hope you'll take the time to read and let us know your thoughts! #CBRESustainability #SustainableBuildings #SustainableTech

Check out our #GreenLease Report to learn how these agreements embed sustainability into everyday real estate practices, driving long-term value. 🌍 💬 “By aligning financial, operational, and environmental goals, green leases are driving a more sustainable, competitive, and future-proof real estate market" – Miklós Ecsődi, Director, Head of Occupier Services. 👉 Download the report: https://lnkd.in/dhGghm8Y #ColliersHungary #Sustainability #Research

What does sustainability really mean for commercial property owners? Yesterday, we welcomed a select group of industry leaders to the Swan Room for a boardroom lunch hosted by Cygnet West in collaboration with RSM. The topic: how sustainability is reshaping real estate - not just in theory, but in practice. From valuation pressures and compliance obligations to shifting tenant expectations and the realities of the energy transition, the conversation was candid, strategic, and deeply relevant. 💡 One takeaway stood out: sustainability isn’t just a checkbox - it’s value to unlock. Whether you're holding, developing, or repositioning assets, the decisions you make today will define your portfolio’s resilience tomorrow. Thanks to everyone who joined us for the discussion. We’re proud to help drive these conversations forward and support our clients in navigating what’s next. If you'd like to explore how these insights apply to your portfolio, reach out to Adam Lawrence at Cygnet West - he’s leading the charge in this space. #CygnetWest #SustainabilityInRealEstate #AssetManagement #CommercialProperty #ESG #EnergyTransition #PropertyInvestment #FutureFocused Karien Erasmus Catherine Bell Adam Lawrence

The market is (slowly) waking up to what this really means. Thanks to RSM Australia, Karien Erasmus, Catherine Bell, and everyone who joined. The best insights come from open discussion and shared experience. AASB S2 is here. Readiness is mixed. That’s normal. Owners who act early reduce risk and protect value. Data quality, capex planning, tenant engagement, and supply chains all matter. The direction is clear, but execution is uneven. What’s the one thing to fix first? Start with the data. If you would like to explore how this applies to your asset or portfolio, get in touch.

How can building certifications unlock investment? U.S. Green Building Council's new guide explores just that: How #LEED is evolving to play a bigger role in sustainable finance, bridging the gap between real estate, climate goals, and capital markets. Certification systems like LEED are becoming trusted tools for investors, lenders, and owners to demonstrate climate alignment, mitigate risk, and build market confidence. The guide highlights: -How LEED supports green and sustainable finance frameworks -Ways certification strengthens the business case for sustainability -Opportunities to align with emerging disclosure requirements As sustainable finance accelerates, the ability of certifications to translate building performance into investment-grade data will be key. Find the guide here: https://lnkd.in/ehf_DCPv 𝘐𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘜𝘚𝘎𝘉𝘊