Real estate is already under the spotlight of EU legislators seeking to tackle the impact of climate change. A summer marked by droughts, wildfires and water shortages will soon be replaced by a winter of discontent, that will impact consumers and businesses.  On 27 September 2022, ECSP hosted a webinar on the current energy crisis and how it could impact Europe’s retail property sector. We discussed the EU’s emerging energy

The European Union is creating a classification system for all sustainable activities to help direct all future investments to tackle climate change whilst also supporting Europe’s broader economic recovery and green transition. EU Taxonomy regulation is the first framework of its kind globally. Its emerging sustainable finance package is having a critical role in the future identification of future economic activities and the investments needed to support them. On 17

Buildings Performance Institute Europe (BPIE), a leading independent think tank on energy performance of buildings, has published a roadmap for retail real estate to collectively reach 2050 net zero carbon emissions targets. With the built environment responsible for 36% of Europe’s total GHG emissions and as its largest energy consumer, the broader real estate sector faces systemic change. The retail property sector has an important role to play. The roadmap

In Q1, 2022 the European Commission will adopt an initiative exploring the most suitable options to ensure that legal entities and legal structures in the EU without a substantial business presence will not benefit from tax advantages. Together with 11 other associations across the real estate investment, built environment, private equity and infrastructure sectors, ECSP has now published a joint position paper calling on the European Commission to rethink its

As the retail property sector starts to reengage following lockdown, digitalisation and decarbonisation are undoubtedly two main priorities. In his latest column for ACROSS Magazine, ECSP’s secretary general Joost Koomen looks at what challenges must be addressed to ensure a smooth digital and green transition. Access the full article here.

As part of the EU’s 2020 Industrial Strategy, the European Commission is planning the green and digital transition of 14 key industrial ecosystems for Europe. The European Council of Shopping Places was contacted to provide input on what it views as potential barriers in this transition for the retail sector, along with recommendations on how to address them. ECSP’s response is available here.

While we still need to digest and assess the full financial impact of the pandemic, Covid-19 has undeniably accelerated existing trends in the retail sphere. For years, online shopping had been on the rise, making retail business models increasingly omnichannel. But the pandemic has led to its definitive breakthrough, also reaching countries and communities where penetration had previously been more limited. In his latest column for ACROSS Magazine, ECSP’s secretary