Nareit’s Real Estate Sustainability Council (RESC) members gathered in New York City on Sept. 9-10 for its annual in-person meeting. The meeting was led by RESC Chair Aaron Binkley, VP of sustainability at Digital Realty, Vice Chair Chris Laz, VP of sustainability at Realty Income Corporation, and Jessica Long, SVP of environmental stewardship & sustainability at Nareit. The meeting was held at the Building Energy Exchange and covered various topics, including approaches to voluntary sustainability reporting, risk analysis, and policy updates, such as rules for complying with California climate-related disclosure regulations.
As part of the week’s activities, RESC members visited Nareit Industry Partner EY’s Four Futures. This immersive experience, which is science-based, led by experts, and visualized by AI, takes participants on an emotional trip through time to 2055. During the RESC meeting, EY’s Jennifer Leitch shared insights on approaches to climate scenario analysis.
The evening before the meeting, a welcome reception was held at the New York Stock Exchange 1792 Restaurant for members to network with peers. The reception was preceded by a sustainability roundtable event at the NYSE for industry leaders and investors, who also joined the RESC members during the welcome reception.
Following the RESC meeting, Nareit’s 2025 Real Estate Sustainability Partner companies, First Street, Measurabl, and Yardi, joined a lunch panel where they shared insights on how they were supporting REIT sustainability programs and insights that could support Nareit’s advocacy and educational priorities.
The event wrapped up with a tour hosted by Nareit member Vornado at the PENN 1 & 2 development, which was recognized as a 2024 Nareit Sustainability Award winner. The tour was led by Vornado’s Chief Sustainability Officer Lauren Moss and Real Estate Development Associate Audrey Wilson. Participants learned how the REIT transformed the midtown Manhattan office towers, enhancing sustainability and providing new and improved entrances to Penn Station. The tour showcased the properties and unique design features and spaces for community gathering, including the Perch rooftop lounge and The Landing, where members gathered for post-meeting networking.