The award of certification attests to the company’s exemplary, value-oriented management team.

In cooperation with the ICG Corporate Governance Initiative in Germany, the Austrian Society for Sustainable Real Estate (ÖGNI) has developed codes for corporate governance, value management and compliance management that define standards of good managerial practice for the construction and real estate sector. These include special regulations on the duty to inform regarding changes in property valuations, representation of real estate experts on the Supervisory Board and specific rules governing conflicts of interest in real estate transactions and contract awards. CA Immo is the first Austrian organisation to implement these international guidelines.

According to Wolfhard Fromwald, a member of CA Immo Management Board, “Transparency and sustainability have been central to our corporate values for many years, and many of our investors demand these qualities as well . Our subsidiary CA Immo Deutschland has been certified under ICG standards since 2010, and now we are aiming for ethical certification across the Group .” Zero tolerance of corruption, a clear and credible information policy, active risk management and upholding the interests of investors – priority number one – are just some of the key points in the certification process. As Fromwald continues, “For us, raising awareness amongst everyone involved is a central issue. People need to know where we draw the line on what’s permitted, which values matter most to us and what our stakeholders expect. By applying for certification, we can establish clear rules for the guidance of staff in these areas.”

The first audit on compliance with the standards at Group level was carried out by KPMG Wirtschaftsprüfungs- und Steuerberatungs GmbH in 2011; the company was subsequently confirmed as ‘ethically certified’ by the ÖGNI. “Professionalism, transparency, integrity and fairness are tasks of management in the construction and real estate sector, and now companies that qualify for certification are able to illustrate those qualities in concrete terms for the first time”, says Philipp Kaufmann, founding president of ÖGNI, clearly proud to have overseen Austria’s first successful certification. The fact that the guidelines were “developed by the sector for the sector” is a key advantage when it comes to implementing the certification system in practice, he believes, adding that “We’re not talking about good people here, it’s all about good management”.

In the course of implementing the value management catalogue, all CA Immo employees in Germany and all managerial staff in Austria have received training in the guidelines and risks of corruption; a roll-out of compliance training is scheduled for 2012.

The certification process
The overall certification process comprises five progressive components, from defining values and verifying the implementation of various regulations to actual certification.

About the ÖGNI
The Austrian Society for Sustainable Real Estate (ÖGNI) is an initiative of the construction and real estate sector in Austria set up to support the paradigm shift towards sustainability. The society, which was established by 125 founder members in 2009, adopts the 3P approach (products, processes and people). Amongst other things, the ÖGNI certifies sustainable buildings in line with the international DGNB system (adapted to the Austrian market); the society is also a member of the World Green Building Council (WGBC). The ÖGNI works with the ICG in the fields of corporate governance, CSR and compliance management with a view to developing and establishing international standards on corporate management in construction and real estate firms.

About CA Immo
CA Immo was founded in 1987. The company develops and invests in commercial real estate (and in particular offices) in Austria, Germany and Eastern Europe. As of 31 December 2011, the company’s total property assets amounted to some € 5.2 bn. CA Immo is listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange, with free float of around 82 % at the present time.

Please address any questions to:
CA Immobilien Anlagen AG
Mag. Julia Müller
Tel.: +43 1532 590 7581
Email: julia.mueller@caimmo.com
www.caimmo.com