ESG Firm Deepki Plans Major U.S. Expansion As CRE Stares Down Climate Change
A French environmental, social and corporate governance firm focused on real estate data will be turbocharging its presence in the U.S., anticipating an increased focus on energy efficiency and climate resiliency nationwide.
Paris-based Deepki plans to expand its U.S. team from roughly a dozen employees to around 100, Bloomberg reported.
The firm currently monitors the performance of almost $5T worth of assets across 80 countries. Its clients include the French government, Generali Real Estate and SwissLife Asset Managers.
“As U.S. asset owners seek to reduce risk and increase returns, we're seeing a real pivot, from talking about sustainability to acting upon it,” Deepki CEO Vincent Bryan said in a press release. “We enable companies to lead, not just comply, by turning sustainability into a profit driver.”
Deepki said it identified managing the risks associated with natural disasters like hurricanes and wildfires as an important revenue stream in the U.S.
The firm will also focus on reducing energy, management and waste costs for property owners through new efficiency measures.
Deepki’s expansion comes amid a sustained focus on climate change in the American CRE industry despite the Trump administration’s efforts to roll back ESG and clean energy programs.
That includes the JPMorgan Chase Institute, which announced Monday that its upcoming U.S. housing market research will explore “the financial impact of natural hazard risk as it becomes capitalized into insurance and mortgage markets.”
Billionaire Tom Steyer's decarbonization firm, Galvanize Climate Solutions, last month completed its largest CRE deal yet as it seeks to make buildings green and sell them for a premium.
Deepki is also bolstering its presence in Europe and laying the groundwork for additional offices in Asia and Australia.
The company aims to ensure it’s “ready when the time is right, particularly in markets like Singapore and Australia where sustainability regulations are tightening and investor interest is growing,” Bryant told Bloomberg.
