Clarion Partners Outlines Net Zero Roadmap and Other Key Initiatives in Latest ESG Report

Clarion Partners LLC, an independent investment manager of Franklin Templeton, has issued its annual report detailing the firm’s wide-ranging environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives.

“As the global ESG landscape evolves, Clarion is committed to being a leader in the commercial real estate industry, seeking to advance our efforts and prioritize ESG in our investment strategies and in our workplace,” says Chief Executive Officer David Gilbert.

The firm has achieved many ESG-related milestones over the past year, including:

• Development of a comprehensive net zero roadmap

Working alongside its stakeholders and local communities, Clarion has developed and has begun implementing a comprehensive net zero roadmap that consists of energy efficiency programs, sustainable development and the use of on-site and off-site renewable energy. This roadmap is aligned with achieving our Urban Land Institute (ULI) Greenprint Net Zero goal.

• Expansion of climate risk mitigation and resilience program

Clarion continues to refine and implement its risk management and resilience strategy to build a more sustainable portfolio by assessing climate-related risks, conducting a survey of risk mitigation features and developing a risk management plan for its assets.

• Investments in building greater diversity in the commercial real estate industry

Clarion formed a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Council to build a more diverse and inclusive organization to deliver better outcomes for the firm’s employees and clients. The DEI Council will continue to expand Clarion’s core initiatives, including the Women’s Leadership Network and summer internship program with the PREA Foundation and SEO (Sponsors for Educational Opportunity), and extend Clarion’s DEI program externally through the enhancement of its vendor diversity program.

The Clarion Partners 2021-22 ESG Report can be accessed here.

Chief Investment Officer Jeb Belford notes, “We recognize that fostering a low-carbon, resilient portfolio is a value-add strategy that speaks directly to the needs of investors and tenants alike. We see these programmatic drivers as core components of responsible investing practices.”

The 56-page report provides governance information on the firm’s ESG framework and leadership, relationships with key industry organizations, climate risk management, and transparency and reporting. For environmental, it details the firm’s net zero roadmap, performance metrics and reductions, green building certified and energy rated properties, and two case studies. Social initiatives are grouped under diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), workforce, employee community involvement and tenant engagement, and one case study.

About Clarion Partners
Clarion Partners, LLC, an SEC registered investment adviser with FCA-authorized and FINRA member affiliates, has been a leading U.S. real estate investment manager for more than 40 years. Headquartered in New York, the firm has offices in major markets throughout the U.S. and Europe. With $83.5 billion in total assets under management, Clarion Partners offers a broad range of both debt and equity real estate strategies across the risk/return spectrum to its 500 domestic and international institutional investors. More information is available at www.clarionpartners.com.

About Franklin Templeton
Franklin Resources, Inc. [NYSE:BEN], is a global investment management organization with subsidiaries operating as Franklin Templeton and serving clients in over 155 countries. Franklin Templeton’s mission is to help clients achieve better outcomes through investment management expertise, wealth management and technology solutions. Through its specialist investment managers, the company offers boutique specialization on a global scale, bringing extensive capabilities in equity, fixed income, multi-asset solutions and alternatives. With offices in more than 30 countries and approximately 1,300 investment professionals, the California-based company has 75 years of investment experience and approximately $1.3 trillion in assets under management as of September 30, 2022. For more information, please visit franklintempleton.com and follow us on franklintempleton.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.