Equity Residential Issues 2021 ESG Report

Company Named 2021 Residential, Overall Regional Sector Leader, Development by GRESB

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Equity Residential (NYSE: EQR), a recognized leader in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles, today announced the publication of its 2021 ESG Report. The report describes the Company’s commitment to ESG principles and values as well as its goals and activities in these areas.

“At Equity Residential we have a shared commitment to sustainability, diversity and inclusion, good corporate governance and corporate responsibility. We are proud to share our 2021 ESG report demonstrating the significant progress that we have made to date as well as our future goals relating to these important topics. Our residents, employees, shareholders and the communities in which we do business all benefit from our increasing efforts in this area,” said Mark J. Parrell, Equity Residential’s President and CEO.

Highlights in this year’s report:

Environmental:

• The Company has established ambitious new greenhouse gas emissions targets under the Science Based Targets framework.
• The Company has made a $10 million investment in a new fund focused on early-stage sustainability and climate change mitigation technology relevant to the built environment.
• The Company was named the 2021 Residential, Overall Regional Sector Leader, Development by GRESB, which is the second year in a row that Equity Residential has received leadership recognition in the development benchmark.
• The Company has incorporated the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) into this report. Equity Residential is a supporter of TCFD.

Social:

• The Company’s ongoing focus on supporting a diverse and inclusive culture by:
  • further enhancing our processes around hiring and promotion to ensure a diverse slate of candidates is sought for every mid-level and higher role;
  • conducting numerous listening sessions where diverse groups of employees could share with executive management their unique life experiences as well as suggestions to help ensure Equity Residential remains an inclusive workplace; and
  • adding additional outreach efforts to build a future pipeline of diverse talent.
• The Company’s continuing work to address the lack of affordable workforce housing through a $5 million investment in a fund focused on preserving affordable housing.

Governance:

• Women and People of Color represent 50% of the Company’s Board of Trustees.
• The Company was recognized as one of America’s Most Responsible Companies by Newsweek Magazine for 2021.

About Equity Residential

Equity Residential is committed to creating communities where people thrive. The Company, a member of the S&P 500, is focused on the acquisition, development and management of residential properties located in and around dynamic cities that attract high quality long-term renters. Equity Residential owns or has investments in 307 properties consisting of 79,322 apartment units, with an established presence in Boston, New York, Washington, D.C., Seattle, San Francisco and Southern California, and an expanding presence in Denver, Atlanta, Dallas and Austin. For more information on Equity Residential, please visit our website at www.equityapartments.com.