In June this year we attended the Richtfest of our retail centre in Wittenberge. 8 months later, the anchor tenant REWE opened its new store. The building is one of REWE’s green building designs, built in accordance with the Green Building criteria of the German Sustainable Building Council, and is one of the highest standards of sustainable supermarkets. As a result of the advanced and considered construction, the buildings generate huge savings in energy. State of the art heating, ventilation and lighting technology, energy-efficient refrigeration systems and highly effective insulation ensure these buildings operate way below the energy consumption of traditional stores.

Greenman OPEN has committed to having a carbon neutral portfolio by 2040 and one of the steps in our journey is to only acquire carbon neutral buildings by 2030. This REWE green building is one example of how real estate is working towards a greener future. However, to achieve our goal, we need to work closely with our tenants and the developers of our asset class.

At Greenman we place great importance in building relationships within the market, understanding our tenants and their needs, and working with them towards a common goal. At the opening of REWE in our centre we met the developer of the retail asset, the mayor of Wittenberge, and the REWE Kaufmann (store manager), allowing us to share a little about what we do, what our strategy is for the future and how we can continue to work well together. Our meeting also allowed everyone to put a face to a name, ensuring that our conversations in the future can happen more effectively. It is opportunities like these that allow us to put in place the foundations for us to grow and achieve the ambitious targets we have set for Greenman OPEN.