REITs stand by their ESG policies despite economy

It is a difficult time for investors as they face the future, according to Sue Munden, Senior Real Estate Analyst, Bloomberg.

Speaking to Real Asset Insight’s Richard Betts at the recent EPRA conference she said that it is particularly difficult for central bankers to combine fiscal policy and a soft landing.

EPRA keynote speaker economist Nouriel Roubini had indicated a hard landing to be a more likely outcome and that was the conclusion that Munden had also drawn. However, she said that some fiscal stimulus could help.

“Clearly, if we do nothing there’ll be a lot of unrest which will be very difficult for everyone to manage,” she said. “Just doing maybe what we should do, is possibly too much for the man in the street to take.”

Another thing that impressed Munden during the EPRA Conference was that a lot of REITs said they would not abandon their ESG policies as a result of the current downturn. “I think that would be a step backward that none of us want.”

Please click on the video above to watch the full interview or listen to the podcast below.