Milan, 25 September 2024 - The YARD REAAS Group, leader in Italy in real estate consultancy and integrated management of real estate services, announces the recent arrival of Claudio Cont in the role of Head of Sustainability, to coordinate and implement the Group's sustainability services and strategies. This is an important role that will be placed under the Investment Division led by Claudia Soravia, alongside the already consolidated Environment, Safety & ESG business unit, with the aim of further boosting growth in this key area.
The arrival of Claudio Cont is part of a sustainability process initiated in 2015, when YARD REAAS was the first real estate consultancy company registered in Italy with PRI - Principles for Responsible Investment. It then continued with the establishment of a team experienced in environmental (due diligence, management/supervision of remediation initiatives and related risks), social and governance issues. This strengthening of the dedicated business unit confirms the Group's strategy of offering clients a full range of integrated services to move towards responsible, resilient investments.
Alongside traditional due diligence activities, therefore, support in ESG assessment and European Taxonomy compliance will be further strengthened and sustainability protocols consulting will be implemented, ensuring an integrated offering featuring all the Group's technical services. In addition, services for the evaluation and study of strategic initiatives for the decarbonisation and development of real estate assets will be strengthened, including through new social impact strategies and the application of smart technologies to increase the performance of buildings.
YARD REAAS will benefit from Cont’s extensive experience gained in academia and in leading companies and production chains specialised in the fields of sustainable construction, energy efficiency and smart technologies for land management. In addition to a solid background in energy certifications (LEED, WELL, BREEAM, LCA), Claudio was the creator of the first ESG rating on real estate for SDA Bocconi, a Board Member of advisory companies promoting ESG ratings for the real estate sector, and ambassador of the “Proptech & Smart Building” thematic area at Federated Innovation.
Claudia Soravia, Head of the Investment Division at YARD REAAS commented: "From the beginning, and today more than ever, sustainability has been at the core of the Group's value proposition. Aware of the importance of environmental, social and governance sustainability for our Clients and their investments, we wanted to further develop this area with the establishment of a new corporate function and a dedicated team, strategically integrated with all business units. We are therefore delighted to welcome Claudio, and are certain that his rich experience in the sector makes him the ideal candidate to pursue excellence in this key area”.
Claudio Cont added: "In recent years the investment market has focused on strategies to reduce environmental impact. In order to tackle the challenges that await us in the near future, a change of direction in the real estate market will be crucial, one that is not only limited to meeting regulatory requirements for sustainable real estate but that also considers people's needs. I am excited to embark on this journey at YARD REAAS, confident that we will achieve great results and be able to bring about positive change for the company, our clients and the broader community”.
