PGIM Real Estate says it has further strengthened its commitment to environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing with the addition of Julie Townsend as ESG lead for Europe and Asia-Pacific. Based in London, she will report to Christina Hill, global head of ESG and head of Americas asset management.

Townsend (pictured) will oversee the ESG strategy and implementation across the European and Asia-Pacific regions and is tasked with building upon the firm’s ambitious sustainability goals and targets. She will work closely with the firm’s local investment teams to implement and manage corporate and asset-level ESG strategy as well as leading ESG reporting and assessments.

Townsend joins PGIM Real Estate after spending 15 years at CBRE, latterly as head of environmental consultancy.

PGIM Real Estate is the real estate investment and financing business of PGIM, the US$1.5 trillion global investment management business of New York-listed Prudential Financial.

Since signing the UN Principles for Responsible Investment in 2009 and joining the Global ESG Benchmark for Real Assets in 2013, PGIM Real Estate has continued to integrate ESG throughout its investment and asset management processes. In 2021, PGIM Real Estate committed to reducing the operational carbon emissions of its global portfolio of managed properties to net zero by 2050.