Macerich snares top retail ESG ranking for 8th straight year

In a year when the leading tracker of corporate environmental, social, and governance compliance had a record number of 1,820 entities in its real estate benchmark, Macerich still finished No. 1 among retail centers.

It’s the eighth straight year that Amsterdam-based GRESB put the mall owner at the head of its “Retail Centers” category for adherence to sustainability efforts in such areas as renewable power and transportation.

GRESB collects, validates, scores, and independently benchmarks ESG data to provide business intelligence and regulatory reporting solutions to investors worldwide.

“As the pool grows and GRESB requirements become more stringent, setting the bar for sustainability in our industry for eight years is an achievement that comes from the tireless work of our sustainability and property teams across our portfolio,” said Olivia Bartel Leigh, executive VP of portfolio operations and people at Macerich.

Bartel Leigh was especially proud of Macerich’s receiving an ‘A’ score for disclosure from the ESG benchmarker for the frequent disclosure of its ESG efforts to the public.

“Our work of engaging sustainability in everything we do makes a difference for our investors, employees, industry partners, and the communities where we do business,” she said.

Macerich was ranked as No. 4 among all retail categories in the United States and No. 15 for all retail worldwide.