Vonovia with top position in S&P Global sustainability ranking – Membership in Dow Jones Sustainability Index has been strengthened

• Further improvement in rankings compared with previous year
• Vonovia has a leading position in the industry
• Good results in CDP and Sustainalytics ESG risk ratings
• ESG criteria – an important part of Vonovia’s corporate strategy

Bochum, 20 December 2021 –Vonovia SE (Vonovia) has achieved an outstanding result in the latest sustainability ranking of the rating agency Standard & Poor’s Global. With a total score of 68 out of 100, the Bo-chum-based company continues to be one of the best-rated companies in the industry.

Vonovia’s place among the first 7% of the world’s globally active proper-ty companies also confirms its ranking on the prestigious Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) for Europe. Using economic, environmental and social sustainability criteria, this family of indices features the best 10% among the largest 2,500 companies on the S&P Index. The DJSI, one of the most relevant valuation bases for investors with a focus on sustainability, lists only two German property companies: Vonovia and alstria.

“The Dow Jones Sustainability Index is one of the most important indices of our time. I’m very proud of our position there, and it gives us an incentive not to slowdown in this area. Sustainability is the compass that determines our actions and our project control,” says Rolf Buch, CEO of Vonovia. “Any company that wants to make a contribution to the envi-ronment and society needs a clear purpose in doing so. This is also de-manded by their shareholders. The distinction we have received confirms that we are very clear on this point,” Buch adds.

“We’d like to congratulate Vonovia on being represented on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index in Europe. It shows that Vonovia is an industry leader in matters of sustainability. The record number of companies participating in the S&P sustainability assessment in 2021 shows a grow-ing desire for the disclosure of ESG criteria (environment, social and governance) as well as transparency,” says Manjit Jus, Global Head of ESG Research at S&P Global.

Climate strategy and social engagement
Vonovia scored particularly well on social criteria, where it reached 72 points – better than 97% of the property industry in general. One area that was rated as outstanding was social engagement and welfare. An-other domain where Germany’s biggest housing company gained a top position was ecology, with a particularly high score for its climate strate-gy.

Also excellent results in CDP and Sustainalytics ESG risk ratings
In addition to S&P Global’s sustainability ranking, Vonovia did very well with the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). CDP provides annual assess-ments of companies’ environmental performances, and Vonovia suc-ceeded in rising from a B- to a B since last year. This puts Vonovia at the “Management Level”, which includes companies that take coordinated measures in climate protection. The property company scored especially well with its initiatives to reduce emissions, where it achieved the highest grade. Vonovia has been a member of the CDP Climate Change Pro-gramme since 2017.

Vonovia has also continued to improve in the ESG risk ranking of the independent service provider Sustainalytics. Its score is now 6.7, so that it features in the lowest risk category – “Negligible Risks”. Vonovia is therefore among the world’s 25 companies with the best results – out of around 15,000 companies assessed in total. 1,054 of those global com-panies were property firms, and Vonovia actually came third among them.
Further measures to boost sustainability

Vonovia is continuing in its pursuit and commitment to its own sustainabil-ity strategy. By 2050, for example, Vonovia SE is planning to equip all suitable roofs with solar panels, and it is currently rolling out its first energy renovation project under the Energiesprong principle this year. This involves the gradual refurbishment of 24 flats without any impact on rental fees (which include heating). The project will eventually also be rolled out in other neighbourhoods in Germany. Another area where Vonovia is stepping up its efforts is biodiversity, which was rated far above average in the latest review by the S&P sustainability assessment. To encourage wildlife and promote biodiversity, Vonovia has been work-ing with the German Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU) in creating numerous wildflower meadows – 96,400 sqm so far, a figure that is set to rise substantially in the future.