Social sustainability charges towards boardrooms

On April 4th, the Urban Land Institute and DGBC (Dutch Green Building Council) organized a well-attended workshop on the 'S' of ESG at the brand new Edge Stadium, redeveloped by EDGE Technologies. Notably, the passion and commitment demonstrated by the attending real estate professionals, young and old, were evident when discussing topics such as health, social cohesion, affordability, inclusivity, and livability. It also became clear that many concrete KPIs can be formulated to make the 'S' measurable. Michel Scholte, former Minister of the New Economy, commented on the KPIs formulated by various theme tables.

During the meeting, various aspects of social sustainability were discussed, including social cohesion, affordability, inclusivity, health, livability, and supply chain responsibility. The workshop emphasized the importance of creating a common language and measuring social sustainability. The use of existing standards and tools, such as the "leefbarometer" (livability barometer), to measure social sustainability was advocated. Participants acknowledged that meeting social objectives would soon be mandatory due to legislation and regulations, such as the European CSRD and the 2030 deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals. The aim of the meeting was to create a movement towards a more inclusive, humane construction for everyone, with leadership taken out of personal motivation rather than simply because it is required.

Click here and here on the DGBC website for an extensive report of the workshop.