Receiving IWBI’s Sustainable Finance Award Reflects our Commitment to Turning Well-being Standards into Real-world Impact
We’re beyond honoured by the latest award we have been granted: the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) Sustainable Finance Award. This addition to our list of recognitions marks us as a company elevating our WELL achievements, a series of certifications proving our buildings are healthy, safe, and productivity-boosting, and catalysing people-first places in 2024.
Incorporating WELL well
An organisation is given the ‘WELL in Sustainable Finance Award’ for excellence and innovation in incorporating WELL into their sustainable finance strategy. The award considers the strength of the financial instrument(s) and the incorporation of WELL into key financial performance indicators. Our success reflects the proven trust banks and financial institutions have placed in our wellbeing-driven workspace strategy.
Three Significant Loans with Sustainability Elements
What is the concrete funding that contributed to the award?
1. €30 million Sustainability Linked Loan from ING driven by our commitment to meet the KPIs of reducing scope 1, 2 & 3 GHG emissions in line with SBTi pathways, increasing the number of buildings aligned for the environmental objective climate change adaptation according to EU Taxonomy, and the total number of projects achieving a specific WELL Building Standard certification.
We worked closely with ING to define a clear set of KPIs aligned with our long-term vision and operational milestones, especially for Worship Square, our very first net-zero project in London, which was the primary focus of the loan. Once these metrics were in place, they became a reliable benchmark, enabling us to secure additional financing from other banking partners under the same KPI framework.
2. Syndicated financing of €50 million was received from Komercni Banka and Tatra Banka, a loan with sustainable elements requiring us to gradually lower carbon emissions and secure WELL Platinum (the highest standard WELL certification) for all new projects.
3. A £106 million Real Estate Investment Green Loan from HSBC UK, following the completion of Worship Square. This funding strengthens our foundation by covering key operational costs—ensuring we remain financially agile and able to continue conducting business in line with our long-term strategy.
We are honoured to be recognised with the Sustainable Finance Award, which highlights the innovative ways we have integrated WELL standards into our sustainability-linked loans. By making the highest level of WELL accreditation the baseline for new projects and maintaining existing WELL-certified assets a core KPI, we are firmly embedding health and well-being into our financial strategy. This recognition affirms our commitment to delivering tangible social and environmental benefits alongside strong financial performance, and we look forward to continuing to advance these goals in the years ahead.
Abhishek Parmar, Head of Sustainable Development, HB Reavis
WELL-driven for years
We’ve been pursuing WELL certification from IWBI, a global organisation assessing how buildings and spaces support human health, well-being, and comfort, with our projects for years. The story of certifying that our premises are safe and healthy to work in started with our first WELL pre-certificate, which was awarded to Varso Tower in 2017 and has been unfolding ever since.
A very important part of the story was our becoming one of the founding members of the WELL Living Lab. This project helped measure the impact of various indoor environments on people’s well-being and helped several industries move closer to optimising workspaces for people’s comfort.
Nowadays, we set the bar as high as possible. The baseline for all our new developments is achieving WELL Platinum and BREEAM Outstanding, which, like in the case of WELL, is the highest certification level. WELL focuses on the building’s well-being standards, whereas BREEAM provides a holistic sustainability assessment framework for both the building and its infrastructure.
Always Going the Extra Mile to Attract Like-minded Brands
Receiving certifications is very rewarding. However, we always take things a step further and help brands achieve their own well-being goals to ensure that all the building’s well-being and productivity-boosting features are being used.
A prime example would be our offices in Bratislava, which are already WELL Platinum certified. Joining the club made them top-class in Europe, and they instantly became a sought-after space as companies knew that the space would allow them to offer their teams the highest well-being standards.
Also, Worship Square, our flagship net-zero development in London’s Shoreditch, is making significant progress towards achieving WELL Platinum certification later this year. This prestigious accreditation demonstrates our innovative design approach and rigorous performance standards, showcasing how sustainability and well-being align perfectly within our ambitious net-zero strategy, Straight to Zero, a great differentiator in the saturated market.
Rewarding True Contribution
The IWBI Awards celebrate global corporate champions for achievements in health and well-being. It’s a privilege to enter a club of honorees including Barclays, CBRE, Cisco, JLL, JPMorgan Chase & Co., T-Mobile, and Uber, among other exceptional brands changing the paradigm of the modern working environment. It is nothing less than an incredible inspiration to stay true to our vision and deliver outstanding projects that a) deserve the strictest certifications and b) exist to have a tangible impact on the everyday world.
We were honoured to receive the award in person — it was presented to us at the WELL 2025 Regional Summit, held this year right in our very own Varso Place in Warsaw. Our colleague Zofia Kijak, ESG & Sustainability Coordinator, accepted the award on behalf of the team, making it a proud and memorable experience for all of us.