Australian Unity hires ESG lead

Australian Unity has appointed sustainability and climate change specialist Parag Shinde to lead its ESG strategy across the firm's portfolio of listed and unlisted commercial properties.

Shinde joins from Property NSW where he rolled out a transformational sustainability strategy across the organisation's portfolio of property assets and real estate projects.

He has led the delivery of ESG and sustainability strategies for several high-profile Australian developers and property managers, including Bouygues Construction and MIRVAC Group.

Its sustainability approach seeks to uphold ESG criteria across its property acquisition, development, leasing, and management practices.

Specifically, these policies aim to reduce energy consumption and carbon footprint, maximise renewable energy generation, leasing to tenants who have a positive social impact on the community.

Mark Pratt, Australian Unity's executive general manager, property, said Shinde's deep knowledge of property sustainability and climate change is will be invaluable in accelerating the firm's ESG strategy,

"As one of Australia's most trusted developers of commercial, healthcare, and social infrastructure property, Australian Unity has a deep responsibility to delivering positive social and environmental outcomes through our investment, development, leasing, and divestment activity," he said.

Australian Unity has more than $4.25 billion in assets under management and a significant development pipeline that includes hospitals, aged care, specialist disability accommodation, student accommodation, office, retail as well as large scale mixed-use precincts.