Turning ESG Reporting Into Real-World Readiness

Remco Livain -

Plan Be Eco recently published a timely article on top trends in ESG reporting for the real estate industry, outlining how the sector is evolving from basic compliance toward more integrated sustainability practices.

I agree with their core message—but I think we need to push it further.

Because while ESG reporting has matured, what’s still missing in many real estate portfolios is the operational bridge between what gets reported… and what actually gets done.

From Disclosure to Direction

The blog highlights essential trends: energy performance certifications, intelligent infrastructure for energy and water management, and alignment with frameworks like the EU Green Deal. These aren’t just buzzwords—they’re fast becoming prerequisites for financing and tenant retention.

But here’s the issue: reporting doesn’t build resilience.

Listing kilowatt-hours saved and CO₂ avoided in a spreadsheet won’t tell an owner what to fix first. And it certainly doesn’t prepare the ops team for what’s coming in terms of retrofit scope, budget, or timeline.

The Real Bottleneck Is Translation

In my work with large real estate portfolios at Lookthrough, I’ve seen this disconnect play out again and again.

You’ve got the ESG team tracking dozens of metrics.

You’ve got external consultants providing risk assessments.

And yet—no clear decision framework for which building to upgrade, when, and how.

This is where reporting has to become readiness.

That’s why we model each building from the bottom up, combining.

  • Energy usage patterns
  • Local policy context
  • Estimated investment cost
  • Return-on-retrofit calculations
  • Feasibility, based on permitting and contractor availability

Because you can’t just prioritize based on carbon. You have to prioritize based on what can actually be done.

ESG SaaS Should Be More Than a Dashboard

One of the trends Plan Be Eco touches on is the rise of digital platforms to support ESG workflows. That’s a huge step forward—but only if those platforms help answer this question:

What’s the next best investment we can make across our portfolio, based on risk, return, and readiness.

Otherwise, you’re just tracking the storm—not building shelter from it.

That’s where Lookthrough differentiates itself. We don’t just show risk. We show you what to do next. No site visit required. No waiting six months for a consultant’s slide deck.

The Resilience Funnel in Action

Here’s how I think about it:

  1. Report — Capture the baseline
  2. Assess — Identify physical and transition risks
  3. Prioritize — Based on ROI, risk severity, and feasibility
  4. Plan — Create actionable scopes for contractors and teams
  5. Retrofit — Execute with visibility on outcomes
  6. Communicate — Share results with stakeholders and regulators

Most portfolios stop at Step 2. But in a world of rising physical risk, the real value kicks in from Step 3 onwards.

Closing Thoughts: It’s Time to Operationalize ESG

The team at Plan Be Eco is right to flag the maturity curve of ESG in real estate. But unless we embed readiness into our tooling, reporting will stay performative.

The future of ESG isn’t just about disclosure.

It’s about direction.

And more importantly—about delivery.

Follow along at @rlivain_builds for more thoughts like this—where sustainability, technology, and revenue strategy intersect in real estate.

To see how we’re helping real estate portfolios model and prioritize retrofits at scale, visit lookthrough.io.