2019-2020
Building Economic Health in Communities ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT SUMMARY
Our first annual ESG Report was a milestone accomplishment driven by our 178-member team. This summary highlights our policies, approach, performance* and targets for all our Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) priorities. It also serves as a snapshot of our purpose in action: To build economic health in communities by regenerating urban spaces, preserving local culture and driving humanity into the workplace. *performance data covers the period between August 1, 2019 - July 31, 2020
ESG Report 2019-2020
Preserving Local Culture
Preserving Local Culture Both at the corporate and local level, EQ is dedicated to supporting the culture, people and landscapes that underpin thriving communities. We’re focused on attracting and retaining talent — and helping our tenants and partners do the same — while improving productivity and ensuring health and safety for all.
Customer, employee and partner relationships are our greatest connection to our shared neighborhood. With that in mind, we’ve invested our resources into workforce development, job training and placement for community members, developing distinctive retail partnerships and incorporating local art and culture into every portfolio property.
Core Social Impact Initiatives:
1. Charitable Giving
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2. Job Creation & Skills Training
3. Community Development & Integration
4. Health & Wellness Support
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5. Responding to COVID-19
6. Social Impact Benefits
ESG Report 2019-2020
Preserving Local Culture
2019-2020 Impact Highlights
51,293
41,672
JOB CREATION & SKILLS TRAINING:
jobs in public transportation and tourism.
→ EQ has placed job creation and skills training at the core of its efforts to serve as an economic engine for communities. Through our national impact partnership with nonprofit YouthBuild USA and collaborations with local workforce development organizations like Project Pipeline in Chicago and the Doe Fund in New York, our teams are empowering a new generation of professionals.
87%
jobs total.
31
art jobs.
9,350
construction jobs.
240
new retail jobs.
$21,000
employee participation in employee-culture survey and engagement strategy planning.
invested in EQ professional development events across five portfolio properties.
$347,227
$112,500
invested in professional development trainings attended by EQ employees.
invested in providing job training for communities where EQ operates through charitable partners.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT & INTEGRATION: → We incorporate local art and community events into the life of every property with the goal of creating and supporting jobs in the creative community. These investments double in their impact by also serving as sustainable tourist destinations and local venues with character where tenants socialize.
97
pieces of art purchased.
$79,437,352
economic value brought to local communities through tourism, as verified by independent Economic Valuation Report prepared by Choose Chicago.
$3,559,815 in art investments across all properties.
3
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new community art installations.
ESG Report 2019-2020
Regenerating Urban Spaces
Regenerating Urban Spaces At EQ, we’re making quantifiable changes to the way we invest in and operate our properties to lower operating costs and advance sustainability-based management. These significant shifts enhance environmental efficiencies and allow EQ to deliver dramatic savings that we pass along to our tenants and surrounding communities.
Our 6 Environmental Standards:
1. Reduce Waste, Reuse, Recycle
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2. Prioritize Sustainable Procurement
3. Reduce Water Consumption
4. Develop Environmental Resiliency Plans
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5. Lower Energy Usage
6. Maintain High Indoor Air Quality
ESG Report 2019-2020
Regenerating Urban Spaces
2019-2020 Environmental Highlights
→ Maintain High Indoor Air Quality: Indoor air quality (IAQ) has always been a top priority for EQ; it’s essential to protecting the health and wellness of all tenants and partners in our buildings. We employ industry-leading air quality measures, and since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have made even greater investments in indoor air quality to ensure the safety of our communities.
→ Lower Energy Usage: We are adopting clean energy and conservation practices that our teams continue to roll out at an aggressive pace. We are reducing energy consumption throughout our operations to have a greater impact on the environment and well-being of our communities.
Energy Conservation Gains KWh (M) 4 3 2 1 0 2019
2020
Emission Savings 38.70% of portfolio participates in clean power programs
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$543,312
204,512,169 –35.66% portfoliowide reduction
invested in indoor air quality across all properties.
→ Property Green Teams: We organized local Green Teams made up of EQ employees to implement these standards, benchmarks and practices. Green Teams drive company-wide adoption and host monthly trainings, helping us ensure that these practices become our new normal across every portfolio property. These teams also develop new sustainability tools, to help us meet and ideally surpass our 2021 and 2022 goals.
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ESG Report 2019-2020
Driving Humanity Into the Workplace
Driving Humanity Into the Workplace Experienced and visionary resources drive our processes, diligence and company management practices. As part of The Blackstone Group, the world’s largest private equity firm, EQ has access to the top practice groups, global investment leaders and leading solutions for building management and operations. In addition, our CEO Lisa Picard is a change-maker in the industry. Guided by these resources, our ESG Leadership Team ensures EQ is managed with a focus on listening to diverse voices and inclusive tenant engagement, centering the workplace around the human experience. Our organization aims to serve as a trailblazer and thought leader in supporting talent and developing the infrastructure that empowers every individual occupant to deliver their best work. Our core management principles include integrating ESG into our acquisition process, investing in tracking and reporting technology, and loss prevention.
Governance at EQ:
1. Diversity & Inclusion
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2. Integrating ESG into our Acquisition Process
3. Customer Feedback & Engagement
4. Loss Reduction
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5. Tracking & Reporting Technology
6. Thought Leadership
ESG Report 2019-2020
Driving Humanity Into the Workplace
2019-2020 Governance Highlights
→ Thought Leadership: Through transparent and open sharing of knowledge, EQ not only stays accountable but strives to lift up the commercial real state industry. EQ is regularly recognized and called upon to share our talent-centered approach.
→ Diversity & Inclusion: We believe that diversity in our management and throughout our company leads to better decision-making and stronger performance. As such, our Diversity & Inclusion program is a core component of our leadership and how we create more and better opportunities for all. We believe in a fair, equitable work environment that gives all people the opportunity to grow and thrive. This commitment bears out in our composition, as 60% of management selfidentifies as women and 34.4% of our vendor partners are small businesses or minority-owned. Our formal D&I programs include: → DIVERSIFIED RECRUITING, FAIR COMPENSATION AND INCLUSIVE MANAGEMENT
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awards received by EQ portfolio properties in the last year:
Willis Tower • LEED Platinum (2019). • CTBUH Most Influential Tall Buildings of the Last 50 Years (2019). • Skydeck: TripAdvisor 2019 Top 10 Global Attractions. • Finalist Office Redevelopment of the Year, 2019 NAIOP Chicago Awards for Excellence.
→ DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION INQUIRIES IN VENDOR HIRING PROCESS 100 Summer Street • LEED Platinum (2019).
→ MONTHLY DIVERSITY CELEBRATIONS
Playa District • Best Renovation at The Outstanding Building of the Year TOBY Awards (2019).
60%
of management selfidentifies as women.
65% 27%
of management self-identify as minorities.
30%
of staff self-identify as minorities.
of staff self-identifies as women.
34.40%
of vendor partners are small businesses or minority owned.
$152,101,828
invested in minority owned and small business partners, as verified by Dun & Bradstreet’s Supplier Diversity Data through vendor purchasing with certified minorityowned and small businesses.
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800 Fifth Avenue • Recertified as LEED Platinum (2019). The Exchange • Recertified as LEED Platinum (2020).
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ESG Report 2019-2020
Highlights of Our 2021-22 Targets
Highlights of Our 2021-22 Targets At EQ, we are committed to transparency and accountability, and look forward to reporting annually on progress to our two-year targets.
1. Boost the number of 5. Reduce energy community members consumption by 3% in benefiting from subsized 2021 and 5% by 2022. community wellness by 25%. 6. Reduce emissions by 15% at all new portfolio 2. Create 10% more new properties within 3 jobs in our communities. years of acquisition.
9. 100% reporting on quarterly EQ ESG dashboards.
3. Provide job training and professional development to 50% more individuals.
11. 100% prevention of reported potential ethics breaches.
7. Divert 45% waste in operations; develop & implement plans to reach zero waste targets.
10. Incorporate Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) standards in 75% of vendor search process.
4. Increase total charitable contributions, which 8. Reduce water includes volunteer consumption by 5%. time, donated space, monetary and in-kind donations, by 25%.
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EQ Office 233 South Wacker Drive, Suite 4700 Chicago, IL 60606 EQ Office
Questions: EQImpact@eqoffice.com www.eqoffice.com