Swedish-backed firm scoops Asian sustainability accolade
The Swedish funded, China-based real estate developer White Peak has been ranked best performer in Asia at the first joint GRESB/BREEAM Asia awards for responsible real estate development in China.
The company, which was co-founded by Jesper Jos Olsson, was awarded the GRESB/BREEAM Asia Award for Best Performing Entity at the BRE China Awards 2021. White Peak’s Zhongrui Eco City project in Shenyang also received a BREEAM Residential Award.
For the first time, GRESB and BREEAM jointly evaluated the real estate investments in Asia that embody outstanding social responsibility.
China has, post covid, placed sustainability at the top of the agenda, and last year pledged to peak its carbon emissions by 2030 and attain carbon neutrality by 2060.
Profound impact on Chinese property
Jesper Jos Olsson, White Peak CEO said “These are ambitious goals that we believe will have a profound impact on the China real estate sector, one of the biggest sources of greenhouse gas emissions. White Peak is well-positioned to be at the head of the curve in the country’s real estate sector. We believe our business comes with responsibilities and we have embedded environmental, social and governance KPIs into our overall strategy and risk oversight,” Olsson said.
He added that the award is hugely encouraging for the company’s employees, partners and investors. “Meanwhile, we are glad to see that an increasing number of real estate developers in China are adopting green building standards, and we look forward to bringing more positive changes to the industry together with our peers.”
White Peak is the developer behind the landmark Hammarby Eco City in Yantai, currently under construction and inspired by Hammarby Sjöstad, th esmart eco-city and a global model for urban redevelopment in Stockholm, Sweden.
