“For us, it is very important to evaluate the ecological future viability of new buildings with a reliable metric. This allows us to implement effective measures in good time during the development process. At the same time, our investors can classify the climate impact of their investment during the holding phase using an easily graspable number,” says Celia-Isabel Vietmeyer, member of the Management Board at Quantum.
For right°, the project represents a further development of the existing X-Degree Compatibility (XDC) methodology, with which the Frankfurt-based company calculates the climate impact of companies and investment portfolios in degrees Celsius. After the methodology was developed in 2021 in partnership with Vonovia and GLS Bank for existing buildings, new builds are now to be added as an additional field of application.
“Close collaboration with industry actors is a principle for us, and we have had the best experience with it for years. With XDC, we want to offer a science-based decision-making foundation across industries and asset classes that remains practical and applicable. For new builds, we have found the ideal partner in Quantum, who shares our vision and understands that only 1.5°C-compliant buildings can be viable in the long term,” comments Hannah Helmke, founder and CEO of right°.
In an initial development phase, a calculation approach will be developed in which the emissions intensity and climate impact of a construction project are determined through an analysis of the suppliers and service providers involved. “This opens up entirely new opportunities for collaboration between real estate and the broader economy to jointly advance 1.5°C-compliant new construction,” Helmke adds.
“With degrees Celsius as a new key figure, the focus opens up to long-term climate-related risks and potential costs, such as stricter regulation or more challenging financing,” Vietmeyer adds.
Initial results of the development partnership are expected in March 2023.
