MEPT Ranks 1st Among U.S. Diversified Funds For Sustainability And Environmental Performance In Commercial Real Estate

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Multi-Employer Property Trust (MEPT), one of the largest open-end core private real estate equity funds in the U.S., announced today that it has been ranked number one in two categories of the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB):

• #1 ranking in the U.S. Diversified peer group among 36 funds;
• #1 ranking among the 28 funds, recognized as funds in the NCREIF Fund Index - Open End Diversified Core Equity (NFI-ODCE) that participated in the GRESB survey.

Concurrently, MEPT's real estate advisor, Bentall Kennedy, was named by GRESB the top firm in the Diversified peer group globally and in North America for 2014.

Based in the Netherlands, GRESB is committed to assessing the sustainability performance of real estate portfolios (public, private and direct) around the world. GRESB's mission is to enhance and protect investor value by evaluating and improving sustainability best practices in the global real estate sector. The dynamic benchmark is used by institutional investors to establish a comprehensive overview and measurement of the material aspects of sustainability performance within their real estate portfolios.

"Receiving such high scores in a number of categories reflects MEPT's long-term commitment to incorporating environmental, social, and governance best practices into its investment strategy. This Fund has been a leader in responsible property investing in the U.S. for over 30 years and we believe that adherence to ESG principles is critical to the long-term competitive performance of the Fund," stated David Antonelli, Executive Vice President and Portfolio Manager for the MEPT strategy at Bentall Kennedy. "We sincerely appreciate the work that GRESB has done to establish a common benchmark for sustainability best practices globally. Along with the MEPT investors, we take great pride in this recognition."

This year's annual GRESB global benchmarking included 637 participants covering 56,000 buildings with an aggregate value of USD $2.1 trillion. MEPT ranked in the top quartile for several other categories. Notably, MEPT was one of 49 participants to receive Green Star status in North America, GRESB's highest level of achievement. It is the fourth consecutive Green Star designation for MEPT. As a Green Star participant, MEPT is recognized as a fund with "an integrated organizational approach towards measurement and management of environmental key performance indicators" resulting in innovation in measures beyond energy efficiency and a reduction in resource consumption.

About MEPT

Multi-Employer Property Trust (MEPT) is a $6.8 billion, open-end commingled real estate equity fund that invests in a diversified portfolio of institutional-quality real estate assets in 25 major metropolitan markets across the U.S. Founded in 1982, MEPT is owned by more than 320 multi-employer and public employee pension plans in the U.S. Signatory to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment, MEPT is recognized as a pioneer in Responsible Property Investing (RPI) and has been consistently top-ranked in the U.S. by GRESB for its environmental performance. 

Bentall Kennedy (www.bentallkennedy.com) serves as the exclusive real estate investment advisor for the Fund. NewTower Trust Company (www.newtowertrust.com), of Bethesda, Maryland serves as the trustee, fiduciary, and investment manager for MEPT. Landon Butler & Company, LP^® (www.lbutler.com) of Washington, D.C. provides investor relations and marketing services for MEPT.

For more information, visit www.mept.com.

Or, contact:
Maureen C. Richardson
River Communications, Inc.
(914) 686-5599
[email protected]

For more information on GRESB, visit www.gresb.com.

SOURCE Multi-Employer Property Trust (MEPT)