GTIS Partners: Again Named The Most Sustainable Private Equity Real Estate Firm in South America

NEW YORK, Dec. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- GTIS Partners LP ("GTIS"), a real estate private equity firm headquartered in New York City, with offices in São Paulo, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Paris and Munich, today announced that the GTIS Brazil Real Estate Fund ("GTIS Brazil Real Estate Fund I") has been recognized as 2020's most sustainable private equity real estate investment fund in South America by the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark ("GRESB"). This is the sixth consecutive year the fund has taken the top ranking.

GTIS Brazil Real Estate Funds III and II took second and third-place honors, respectively, rounding out the top three. Additionally, all three GTIS Brazil funds received five out of five stars and ranked first in their respective peer groups based on property type concentration.

GRESB reviewed in 2020 more than 1,200 property companies, real estate investment trusts (REITs), funds, and developers, finding that GTIS consistently outperformed its peers, in part due to an investment process and company culture that centers around ESG considerations.

As one of the largest foreign real estate investors in Brazil, GTIS has committed more than $2.4 billion of equity to its Brazil platform. The firm has been actively investing in Brazil real estate since 2005, and has been participating in the GRESB survey for its Brazil funds since 2012, making it one of the first institutional investors in Brazil to recognize the importance of sustainability and governance. 

"We are extremely honored to receive this recognition from GRESB for the sixth year in a row.  We consistently implement ESG processes at GTIS in the same way we build real estate – from the ground up," said Josh Pristaw, Senior Managing Direction, Head of Capital Markets and Co-head of Brazil. "GTIS has dedicated many resources over the years to ensuring our investment process takes into consideration all material ESG components. We have found that what makes for good social impact directly correlates with strong investments and subsequently, strong returns."

"As a leader in real estate investing, we must take into consideration the effects of our capital deployment on ESG issues," said João Teixeira, Senior Managing Director and Co-Head of the Brazil Office. "We have a duty not only to our investors, but to the communities and people with whom we interact who have entrusted us with their money, their property, and their time. I have witnessed firsthand the positive outcomes in Brazil that have come from a conscientious investment process and know that GTIS will continue to put ESG efforts at the forefront."

"We are proud to recognize the 2020 GRESB 'Sector Leaders' and 'Most Improved' for their clear commitment and meaningful action to improve their ESG performance," said Paul van Tongeren, Co-Founder of GRESB.  "Your efforts continue to shape the future of sustainability leadership and play a critical role in driving the transition towards sustainable real assets."

In addition to real estate, GTIS employs ESG principles in its renewable energy investments in its state-of-the-art industrial/logistics center outside São Paulo.  The development has been outfitted with a rooftop solar farm with a 2.5-megawatt capacity that exceeds the approximately 1.5 million square foot center's energy needs. The firm is also in the process of migrating five office assets and seven hotel assets to providers of free market renewable energy sources instead of the local utility provider, thereby acquiring nearly 35,000 kWh of annual energy from renewable sources over the next 5-7 years. 

GTIS also employs rigorous ESG processes in its US investments which include multifamily and single family projects located in growth markets. The firm also invests in US Opportunity Zones, most recently in Phoenix, with the mission of stimulating economic development in underserved areas while focusing on sustainability and socio-economics.

For more information on GTIS' approach to ESG see here: https://www.gtispartners.com/our-firm-sustainability

About GTIS Partners
GTIS Partners is a leading real asset investment and development firm headquartered in New York with offices in São Paulo, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Paris and Munich. The firm was founded in 2005 by Tom Shapiro and is managed by President Tom Shapiro and Senior Managing Directors Thomas Feldstein, Josh Pristaw, João Teixeira, Rob Vahradian and Amy Boyle. The firm manages over $4 billion in gross assets and is active across a wide range of real estate sectors including single family and multifamily housing, office, industrial/logistics and hospitality as well as renewable energy infrastructure and opportunity zone investments. The firm invests at various points in the capital structure including credit, common equity and structured equity. In the US, GTIS has invested in over 130 assets across 40 unique markets including growth areas such as Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, Denver, Atlanta, Tampa and Charlotte. In Brazil, GTIS is among the largest real assets private equity firms with holdings including office, residential, logistics, hospitality and renewable energy investments. Marquee assets in São Paulo include the Infinity office building and Palácio Tangará, a five-star resort style hotel.  For more information, please visit www.gtispartners.com.

About GRESB
GRESB is a mission driven and investor led organization providing standardized and validated Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) data to the capital markets. Established in 2009, GRESB has become the leading ESG benchmark for real estate and infrastructure investments across the world. The 2020 real estate benchmark covers more than 1,200 property companies, real estate investment trusts (REITs), funds, and developers. Our coverage for infrastructure includes more than 540 infrastructure funds and assets. Combined, GRESB represents US $5.3 trillion in real asset value. The reported ESG data is used by more than 100 institutional and financial investors to monitor investments across portfolios and understand the opportunities, risks and choices that need to be made as the industry transitions to a more sustainable future. For more information, please refer to www.GRESB.com.

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SOURCE GTIS Partners

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