From Azur to green

But by how much will the growing strength of this trend be reflected in the portfolios that developers and investors hold? Looking at last year’s financial results for the sector, you might have some doubts. The March get-together in Cannes always serves as an excellent barometer of the market, allowing us to foresee any coming storms or to glimpse the sunshine that is still hiding behind the clouds. In 2021, MIPIM took on a very specific role when the event made its return to the calendar after the turbulence of the pandemic, but it didn’t take long for the next shock to hit us. Nonetheless, one of the most invaluable advantages for journalists is the opportunity to speak to a large number of market players, giving us access to market information straight from the horse’s mouth, unfiltered by marketing departments and without all the official dressing. I’ll let you in on a secret of mine: if you want to know what’s happening on the European investment scene, talk to the Germans. Not only are they well-informed, they also don’t fall in behind the official optimistic spin and will tell you how things really are. Well, at least up until now they have always done so, but it’s quite possible that the difficulties their economy now faces might temper their frankness. We’ll soon find out

We open the March edition with interviews with two giant personalities in the sector – the bosses of Gleeds Polska and Yareal Polska. Many topics are discussed, but they both go into a lot of detail about the green transformations of their businesses. Right after these interviews you will find… our ESG section, which stretches out almost to the very end of the issue – as it’s now the case that almost every real estate article has to at least mention this topic. These are the times we live in, but that doesn’t mean it has to be boring. On these pages you can read all about the growing pains related to green real estate financing as well as what’s happening on the building sites of some of the biggest renovation projects in Poland, which are aimed at breathing new life into old buildings. We also pay special attention to a particular office project in Mord… I mean Służewiec, which is clearly much more friendly to both people and other creatures. And we also ask the experts about their hopes for the coming of Integrated Investment Plans.

And keep your fingers crossed for Elektrownia Powiśle at the MIPIM awards. See you in Cannes!