As part of its strategy to be truly European, Innovative and ESG Driven, BNP Paribas Real Estate Investment Management UK has appointed Munish Datta as Senior Independent Advisor to its UK office from 1st September 2022.
Based in the London office, Munish will bring his market understanding, academic background, innovation support and networks to advise BNP Paribas REIM business line and its UK team on ESG & sustainability strategies and action plans, both at property level but also for their funds and separate accounts.
Munish’ appointment is another milestone in the acceleration of BNP Paribas REIM’s 2025 ESG Roadmap, which notably saw the recent successful launches of pan European Impact and Social funds (European Impact Property Fund and other products to be launched). At the business line level, BNP Paribas REIM had targeted to have 90% of funds open to investors and 100% of funds for private investors being classified as "sustainable"* and thereby complying with Article 8 or Article 9 of the European Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) by 2025. As of end-2022, BNP Paribas REIM will surpass its initial 70% target with 85% of funds open to investors that will be classified as “sustainable”*.
Working with the entire REIM teams, and their ESG department in particular led by Nehla Krir, Munish will help bringing together the right expertise and knowledge to continue building a leading sustainable and ESG driven Pan European IM platform. As a first priority, Munish will help define the ESG strategy and ambition for BNP Paribas REIM UK current residential initiative, which aims at building a middle market, balanced & scaled BTR platform in Greater London.
Benoit De La Boulaye, Head of BNP Paribas REIM UK, comments: “We are very excited to welcome Munish to our UK team given his vast, practical and highly regarded experience in business sustainability leadership and knowledge of the UK real estate sector. His insights and guidance will help us strengthen the growth of the business, achieve our 2025 ESG roadmap and successfully position our UK initiatives such as our Greater London Residential one.”
Munish Datta adds: “Building on my work with BNP Paribas at CISL, UKGBC and M&S, I am very excited to work alongside Benoit and BNP Paribas REIM UKs very talented and highly respected team to continue to put sustainability at the core of strategy and accelerate its ambitious growth plans, not just in the UK, but across Europe.”
Munish is a Fellow at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), he empowers senior business leaders & organisations to tackle critical global challenges. As Director of Sustainability for Specsavers Group for over a year, he worked alongside 45,000 partners and colleagues, operating in 11 countries, to change the lives of 41 million customers through better sight and hearing. Munish is a trustee of sustainable development charity and social enterprise, Bioregional, creators of the highly respected ‘One Planet Living’ Framework and multi-award-winning BedZED eco-village in South London. He is a Governor (Non-Executive Director) of the Stephen Perse foundation of schools (Cambridge, UK) & trustee of Rama Foundation, a UK charity building the capacities and skills of disadvantaged communities in rural India.
From October 2018 till May 2022, as director at UK Green Building Council (UKGBC), Munish was responsible for leading the organisations membership strategy and accelerating the delivery of its mission to radically improve the sustainability of the built environment. He is alumnus of global retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S) where, for 21 years, till 2018, he led cross business teams to design and deliver the multi award winning, globally renowned sustainability strategy (Plan A), for its operations including a 1000+ buildings property portfolio.
*Classified as “sustainable" means compliant with Articles 8 and 9 of the SFDR (Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation).
- Amira TAHIROVIC
