Commercial real estate firm Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) has assessed roughly 1,200 brands across approximately 4,300 stores using its Sustainable Retail Index, covering 73.5 percent of eligible revenue across its portfolio, as major retail landlords formalize sustainability scoring into leasing conversations.
URW and Ingka Centres, a sister division of Ikea, are launching the Sustainable Retail Index Association: an independent body aimed at establishing a common standard for measuring environmental and social performance across retail real estate portfolios.
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First implemented by URW in 2023, the portfolio-wide assessment tool is now embedded across much of its shopping center estate. Of the assessed revenues, 54.2 percent come from brands rated “Leader,” “Advanced” or “Active” on sustainability, according to the company. Ingka Centres, which operates 38 “meeting places” in 15 markets, has also rolled out the tool and expects to assess the majority of its retail categories by mid-2027.
The methodology combines brand-level sustainability data from Good On You—accounting for 75 percent of the overall score—with third-party audits of store-level practices, which make up the remaining 25 percent. The Sydney-based business platform’s ratings are based on approximately 1,000 publicly available data points per brand across environmental and social criteria.
The system permits landlords to assess tenant sustainability performance, at scale, without needing direct retailer input.
Scores are discussed with brands individually, including during leasing conversations, and retailers are given access to their full assessments and underlying data through a dedicated platform. Individual brand scores will not be disclosed publicly, though group-level results will be reported annually.
Scores are discussed with each brand during leasing conversations—retailers can access them, alongside their full assessments, through a dedicated platform. Individual brand scores will remain private, per the partners, though aggregate results will be reported annually.
“The Sustainable Retail Index is a valuable tool in strengthening how we curate and future-proof our tenant mix across our meeting places,” said Vasco Santos, global director of leasing at Ingka Centres. “It enables us to better understand and support brands that are contributing to more sustainable and responsible lifestyles.”
He added that the focus is on working closely with retailers to enhance transparency and encourage progress while creating “commercially strong, sustainable destinations.”
Sylvain Montcouquiol, chief resources and sustainability officer at URW, said the index allows landlords to measure retailers’ sustainability commitments and engage with them on a “tangible and analytical basis” to support their ambitions. He said the association aims to increase adoption of the tool and improve transparency across the sector.
Good On You co-founder Sandra Capponi said the partnership is rooted in transparency, arguing that retail cannot accelerate more responsible practices without consistent sustainability data across portfolios.
“We’re proud to partner with the SRI Association and support retail industry leaders to enable better decision-making and wider engagement on urgent challenges,” Capponi continued. “That’s why Good On You has leveraged our value chain expertise and ratings data to help establish a shared industry standard that guides brand action, consumer choices and systemic change across the retail ecosystem.”
The association will include Sonae Sierra as a founding member, as the vertically integrated real estate company is currently piloting the tool in two Portuguese malls. WWF France contributes technical expertise to strengthen methodological rigor and monitors results as a civil society representative. That said, it doesn’t certify retailer performance or approve individual scores.
The association does, however, view the index as a tool for engagement, not exclusion. Regardless, integrating portfolio-level sustainability scoring into landlord-tenant discussions underscores the growing responsibility of commercial real estate owners to shape sustainability expectations in retail.
To note: In September 2023, American Eagle Outfitters accused—and sued—URW (and Brookfield Properties) for neglecting the mall and refusing to invest in security, which ultimately led to the retailer permanently closing its flagship store at the former Westfield San Francisco Centre in May 2024.
