Owen Thomas, CEO at Boston Properties, Inc. (NYSE: BXP), joined Nareit in New York for a video interview at REITweek: 2019 Investor Conference.
Boston Properties was named a 2019 Energy Star Partner of the Year. Thomas discussed some of the key elements to establishing and maintaining a well-regarded ESG program.
“The key to it, in a very general sense, is having commitment to the cause and having a team that’s passionate about executing it,” Thomas said. While singling out the efforts of Director of Sustainability Ben Myers, Thomas stressed that “we can’t be a leader in ESG without our full team being involved.”
Thomas also discussed the passage of New York’s Climate Mobilization Act and how it will impact property owners like Boston Properties. He noted that all but one of Boston Properties’ buildings currently meet the act’s 2024 targets. To meet 2030 targets, landlords are probably going to have to purchase their energy from sustainable sources, he added.