Corporate social responsibility at Rabo Real Estate Group
It is our conviction that real estate should serve end-users and contribute to the quality of
society. We have integrated sustainability into our strategy and core business. Rabo Real Estate
Group is seeking to establish a leading position on sustainability in the property sector.
To Rabo Real Estate Group, sustainability, within a framework of financial responsibility, means:
- Active in sustainable real estate. All of Rabo Real Estate Group's business units contribute to
sustainable real estate and area development. This not only covers energy aspects, but also
issues such as multiple use, transformation, mobility and cultural history. To support
consumers looking to buy a new-build home, Bouwfonds Property Development introduced
a green buyers'choice list, which presents a wide range of options relating to the environment
and climate. In addition, the online www.groenpluswonen.nl platform was launched to offer
consumers advice on sustainability in and around their homes. The development of the
De Rotterdam multi-purpose building in the Kop van Zuid area of Rotterdam is an example
of sustainable development by MAB Development. In the start-up phase, during construction
and even during its ultimate use, contributions to the sustainability of the development and
the environment have been incorporated on several fronts. In 2011, FGH Bank launched a
pilot to objectively assess whether the properties in the portfolio can be assigned a
sustainability performance rating.The aspect of sustainability has also been further
integrated into the valuation process. In 2011, Bouwfonds REIM started using a so-called
location-building-user model, which it developed in 2010 to allow fund managers to assess a
portfolio for sustainability. The model is based on data provided by the Municipal Practice
Guideline for Buildings (GPR) in the Netherlands and Green Globes in the US.
The strategic motto of Fondsenbeheer Nederland is 'to invest in the quality of the physical
environment'. Through the funds it manages, it achieves this on a daily basis in the areas of
monuments, nature conservation, urban regeneration, sustainability and the repurposing of
industrial, agricultural and religious heritage.
- Ethical business practices. Rabo Real Estate Group has its own Code of Conduct relating to
the integrity and conduct of employees in line with Rabobank Group's own Code of Conduct.
Efforts to firmly anchor the Code of Conduct in the organisations continued in 2011.
- Responsible business practices. In its operations, Rabo Real Estate Group is mindful of
environmental considerations. For instance, investments in equipment explicitly include
assessments of the scope for energy savings.
- Commitment to the community. Rabo Real Estate Group is committed to ensuring that
monumental buildings from the past are preserved to foster an awareness of our cultural
heritage. With this in mind, Rabo Real Estate Group has been the main sponsor of the Dutch
Fleritage Day for 25 years. The 25th Dutch Fleritage Day attracted around 950,000 visitors to
more than 4,000 monuments that were opened up to the public. Bouwfonds Cultuurfonds
provided support to cultural and physical environment initiatives ranging from the
Netherlands Architecture Institute in Rotterdam, Museum De Fundatie in Zwolle to the
restoration of the Drommedaris tower in Enkhuizen.
Market conditions weighing down residential property sales
Bouwfonds Property Development is the market leader in the Netherlands in the development
of residential areas and small mixed-use developments. Together with the local Rabobanks,
regional offices ensure that Bouwfonds Property Development can respond effectively to
specific market conditions in a given region. Given the poor state of the Dutch residential
property market, Bouwfonds Property Development focused on
limiting its stock of unsold residential properties. Residential
property sales fell to 8,112 (8,982). Given the changing market
conditions in the Netherlands, Bouwfonds Property
Development embarked on a second reorganisation in 2011,
which is due to be implemented early in 2012 together with a
considerable headcount reduction. In the Netherlands,
residential property sales dropped to 3,922 (4,791). Market
conditions in France and Germany, where Bouwfonds Property
Development has also gained a strong foothold, were generally
Distribution number of houses sold in 2011
by country
The Netherlands
France
Germany
Other
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