CCREM Foundation names Andrea Palmer as its first CEO

The Carbon Risk Real Estate Monitor (CRREM) Foundation has announced the appointment of Andrea Palmer as its first Chief Executive Officer, effective from 1 July 2025.

Palmer will lead the continued development of the CRREM Foundation following its incorporation in 2024 and its securing of €1 million in philanthropic funding.

“Having worked closely with institutional investors and real estate managers, I’ve experienced first-hand how the CRREM Pathways have reshaped risk assessments and informed ambitious, science-based decarbonization strategies”, said Palmer. “I look forward to working with the team and our partners around the world to scale our impact, strengthen data integrity, and ensure the real estate sector is equipped with the best scientific tools to align with global climate goals.”

Palmer brings more than a decade of experience in real estate sustainability to the CEO role, having led sustainability strategies for a diversity of private and public asset classes, including listed equities, fixed income, and specialist real estate investments.

Her most recent position was Responsible Investment Lead, Global Real Estate Securities for PGGM; her career has also included roles at LaSalle Investment Management, Triodos IM and GRESB, where she was part of its real estate team, leading the validation of the annual GRESB assessment and developing its training programme.

“After a rigorous selection process, and from a pool of very strong candidates, the Board unanimously selected Andrea for her ambition, strong sustainability track record, and clear strategic vision”, said Derk Welling, Chair, CRREM. “Her experience in real estate finance, deep ESG expertise, and understanding of both CRREM Foundation’s challenges and clear opportunities make her the right leader for this next chapter – as the initiative grows to serve the investment and development community ever better.”

CRREM’s real estate decarbonization pathways are already used by investors across 44 countries. Palmer will oversee expanding its user base and investor application in key markets including North America and Asia through market engagement, advocacy and network-building. She will further strengthen CRREM Foundation’s operational capacity as it scales up to develop more granular pathways and cover additional real estate asset types and geographies.

The CRREM Foundation is a globally recognized, independent, open-access initiative that develops science-based decarbonization pathways for real estate assets, in line with the Paris Agreement. The CRREM Pathways and tools are of benefit for tenants, regulators and are used by investors and asset managers for climate-aligned investment and risk management across their real estate portfolios.