NHOOD Hungary obtains the BREEAM certification for the entire real estate portfolio it manages

Nhood's corporate philosophy is based on the unity of the triple pillar of People-Planet-Profit. During our operations we try to take into account not only the economic benefit, but also the human factor and the aspects of protecting our planet, striving to develop the real estate portfolio entrusted to us in a value-enhancing way and to make sure we contribute with our activities for the realization of the European Union climate goals.

Today, we have countless methods to measure and, based on the measurement results, to improve the sustainability performance of real estate every year. One such tool is BREEAM, the world's most recognized voluntary rating method, which examines buildings from the point of view of environmentally friendly operation and makes them internationally comparable. The rating provides an opportunity to examine buildings throughout their entire life cycle, evaluating newly built, renovated and already-in-use properties in separate categories.

The project team started in the summer of 2021, during which we measured all the properties we manage based on BREEAM’s unified system of criteria for buildings that have already been built, and obtained the BREEAM In-Use certificate for each. The BREEAM rating has Pass, Good, Very Good, Excellent and Outstanding grades, according to the percentage of the building that fulfills the sustainability criteria set by the British Building Research Institute. The detailed analysis examines the fields of energy, waste management, biodiversity, green energy and sustainable transport, among others. The certificates obtained now will be overruled in 3 years, thus motivating us to strive for an even better performance in the period until the next certification.

In connection with the BREEAM In-Use surveys, our CSR team recently measured the green surfaces of all the shopping centers we manage based on various environmental protection criteria. After the evaluation of the results, an ecological report was prepared, which presents the nature conservation status and current biological activity of the given areas, and a joint action plan with Auchan is being finalized on the basis of which we were able to start the development of the green areas while also supporting wildlife habitats: in the locations we operate, we put out dens and feeders that take into account the different needs of certain bird species. The project was carried out in cooperation with Auchan Hungary. In order to preserve the biological diversity of the green areas under our management, we would like to continue this work in the future.

Our other high-volume activity is our afforestation project launched in April 2022. In the area of the Soroksár Shopping Center, we planted 87 native trees on about 7500 square meters, ensuring their strengthening with continuous watering. In addition, we created Hungary's largest Miyawaki mini forest by planting 600 forestry ball-bearing tree seedlings on 200 m2. This forest is a very fast-growing, 5-fold CO2 sequestration compared to traditional tree planting, a walkable Zen Garden, planted in a Yin-Yang pattern. The afforestation project will continue this year with landscaping, the aim of which is to ensure that the aesthetically designed green grove, in addition to environmental protection aspects, also serves the relaxation of the customers who come to the shopping center.

Regarding the activities, Dóra Diána Szemerédi, our CSR and Internal Communications Manager, said the following:

"We are proud that the entire portfolio managed by us has been assessed, mostly obtaining Good and Very good ratings for the individual properties. This comprehensive analysis showed us which focal points we should focus on in order to move to an even higher category during the next qualification. Another goal is to re-green the large surfaces of the properties under our management by rethinking the parts that have already been concreted, since we want to operate locations that are not only bustling, successful commercial destinations and meeting places, but also excellent in terms of well-being and sustainability factors."