CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ventas, Inc. (NYSE: VTR) (“Ventas” or the “Company”) has achieved the prestigious CDP “A List” for tackling climate change, demonstrating its leadership in corporate sustainability. The global environmental non-profit recognized Ventas for its actions to cut emissions, mitigate climate risks and develop the low-carbon economy, based on the data reported through CDP’s 2021 climate change questionnaire.
Ventas was in the highest two percent (2%) of the 13,000 companies globally that were scored through CDP’s annual environmental disclosure process. Through significant, demonstrable action on climate, Ventas is a global leader on corporate environmental ambition, action and transparency.
“Achieving the ‘A List’ on what is widely recognized as the gold standard of climate risk management transparency is a testament to the Ventas commitment to efficient and responsible operations,” said Kelly Meissner, Director, Sustainability. “The business and moral imperative to preserve our planet has been a guiding principle of our ESG strategy for more than 10 years, and we are proud of this recognition of our climate actions and progress, which reduce risk and improve the efficiency of our portfolio.”
Actions Ventas has taken in the past year that support its environmental goals, mitigate its impact on the climate and create a more competitive, efficient portfolio include:
- Energy Efficiency: Ventas has made accretive investments in LED lighting at ~300 senior housing assets since 2018, and have committed ~$27 million to accretive energy efficiency investments such as LEDs, HVAC optimization and building controls in more than 150 Medical Office Buildings (MOB) throughout our portfolio
- Energy management and benchmarking: A result of its commitment to good energy practices, data and benchmarking, Ventas was named an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year in 2021 and is the leading owner of ENERGY STAR certified senior housing communities, with 110 certified communities (70% of total U.S. ENERGY STAR senior care certifications in 2020)
- Transition to a low-carbon economy: Ventas’ goal to reduce emissions by 30% by 2030 is aligned with climate science and validated by the Science Based Targets initiative; Ventas has also increased its commitment to renewable energy, resulting in two Net Zero senior living communities in 2020, and have introduced ~150 electric vehicle charging stations at 42 properties throughout its portfolio
Over the past several years, Ventas has developed a robust and comprehensive approach to climate change governance and risk management. This includes a dedicated sustainability team, board-level oversight of climate-related issues and a multidisciplinary internal ESG Steering Committee chaired by our CEO and Chairman. Ventas has an integrated, multi-disciplinary company-wide risk management process, which is led by its Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Committee and includes climate change risks and opportunities.
Paul Simpson, CEO of CDP, said: “Many congratulations to all the companies on this year’s A List. The scale of the risk to businesses from climate change, water insecurity and deforestation can no longer be ignored, and we know the opportunities of action far outweigh the risks of inaction. Leadership from the private sector is essential for securing global ambitions for a net-zero, nature positive and equitable world. Our A List celebrates those companies who are preparing themselves to excel in the economy of the future by taking action today.”
Ventas transparently shares its CDP reports and third-party data insurance on its website at www.ventasreit.com/corporate-responsibility. The full list of companies that made this year’s CDP A List along with other publicly available company scores and the detailed methodology is available on the CDP website: https://www.cdp.net/en/companies/companies-scores.
About Ventas:
Ventas Inc., an S&P 500 company, operates at the intersection of two large and dynamic industries – healthcare and real estate. Fueled by powerful demographic demand from growth in the aging population, Ventas owns a diversified portfolio of over 1,200 properties in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Ventas uses the power of its capital to unlock the value of senior living communities; life science, research & innovation properties; medical office & outpatient facilities, health systems and other healthcare real estate. A globally-recognized real estate investment trust, Ventas follows a successful long-term strategy, proven over more than 20 years, built on diversification of property types, capital sources and industry leading partners, financial strength and flexibility, consistent and reliable growth and industry leading ESG achievements, managed by a collaborative and experienced team dedicated to its stakeholders.
About CDP
CDP is a global non-profit that runs the world’s environmental disclosure system for companies, cities, states and regions. Founded in 2000 and working with more than 590 investors with over $110 trillion in assets, CDP pioneered using capital markets and corporate procurement to motivate companies to disclose their environmental impacts, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, safeguard water resources and protect forests. Over 14,000 organizations around the world disclosed data through CDP in 2021, including more than 13,000 companies worth over 64% of global market capitalization, and over 1,100 cities, states and regions. Fully TCFD aligned, CDP holds the largest environmental database in the world, and CDP scores are widely used to drive investment and procurement decisions towards a zero carbon, sustainable and resilient economy. CDP is a founding member of the Science Based Targets initiative, We Mean Business Coalition, The Investor Agenda and the Net Zero Asset Managers initiative. Visit cdp.net or follow us @CDP to find out more.
