Skyline’s many ESG initiatives in 2021 were featured in an article on RENX.ca.
Read the original article published on RENX.ca: “How an ESG-focused 2021 earned this real estate company 2 industry awards”
Rising awareness of ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) concerns, and the expectations of businesses to address them and take meaningful action, became stronger than ever during the past year. According to PwC’s 2021 Consumer Intelligence Series survey on ESG, 83% of consumers think companies should be actively shaping ESG best practices, and 86% of employees prefer to support or work for companies that care about the same issues they do.
Businesses are responding with the creation of comprehensive ESG plans that outline both their current and forward-looking strategies regarding various ESG factors. These can include carbon emissions reduction, staff-led social/charitable initiatives, diversity and inclusion, customer influence and outreach, and many more.
Some companies have been consistently recognized for their ESG efforts long before the term “ESG” took the spotlight. Many of these companies are using the current environment as an opportunity to further enhance their positive impact and align their ESG strategy with widely recognized frameworks such as the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Skyline Group of Companies is one such entity. Its first environmental plan, coined “Recognizing Our Responsibility,” was launched in 2006. Since then, and up until 2021, Skyline had been integrating various additional ESG initiatives within its operations each year, but without any overarching formal strategy. That changed in 2021 when Skyline launched its inaugural Sustainability Plan, defining its key objectives within each ESG category.
“We used 2021 as a launchpad to officially set our standards and benchmarks for sustainability—a term we use at Skyline to encompass environmental, social, and governance,” said R. Jason Ashdown, Co-Founder & Chief Sustainability Officer, Skyline Group of Companies.
“We’re holding ourselves accountable to measure our progress and report on our success at year-end, so we can hit the ground running for 2022 and beyond.”
With more than $6.4 billion in assets under management, and a presence in more than 150 Canadian communities, Skyline acquires, manages, and develops real estate properties across apartment, industrial commercial, and retail asset classes.
“We have a responsibility to enrich each of the communities in which we operate,” said Ashdown.
“We do this through creating environmental efficiencies at the properties, and also by investing in these communities and partnering with community organizations. As a result, we’re making a positive difference not only for our residential and commercial-retail tenants, but for those who live in the broader community.”
In 2021, Skyline launched, or continued to facilitate, a wide range of ESG practices at its properties across Canada. These include:
Skyline aims to empower its sustainability partners by inviting them to participate in multiple social and environmental initiatives throughout the year. For example:
“We tap into our human resources as much as our dollars,” added Ashdown.
“We have a bounty of talented people and resources ranging from IT, to HR, to Construction, to Legal, and so many more. If a non-profit or community organization needs advice or service, and we have the capabilities, we enthusiastically lend our expertise.”
Skyline was recently the proud recipient of two prestigious awards for 2021 from the Federation of Rental Housing Providers of Ontario: Environmental Excellence (awarded to Skyline Group of Companies) and Impact (awarded to Skyline Living for its R.I.S.E. program).
Although industry recognition provides Skyline and its staff with incredible validation for their ESG efforts, the benefits of integrating ESG practices into Skyline’s business model extend far beyond accolades alone.
“ESG is important to our Trustees, staff, investors, tenants, and business partners,” said Ashdown.
“It is now a major factor in determining whether someone wants to work for us, invest with us, rent with us, or do business with us. It’s our job to ensure sustainability is integrated across all facets of Skyline, and that we are setting the benchmark in our industry for taking the most meaningful measures possible.”
Skyline Group of Companies (“Skyline”) is a fully integrated asset acquisition, management, development, and investment entity.
It is comprised of companies that provide services in real estate management and development, as well as clean energy management and development.
Skyline currently manages more than $6.4 billion across its real estate and clean energy platforms.
With more than 1,000 employees across Canada, Skyline works to provide safe, clean, and comfortable places for tenants to call home, great places to do business, sustainable solutions for a greener future, and an engaging experience for its investors.
View Skyline’s 20th Anniversary celebration video to see how Skyline is grounded in real estate, powered by people, and growing for the future.
For more information about Skyline Group of Companies, please visit SkylineGroupOfCompanies.ca.
Bethany Curtis
Manager, Content Marketing and Communications
5 Douglas Street, Suite 301
Guelph, ON N1H 2S8
519.826.0439 x231