a.s.r. to reward farmers for sustainable business operations
a.s.r. is going to reward farmers who are committed to sustainable business operations. Farmers who use agricultural land owned by a.s.r. can receive a discount of 5 to 10% on the rent if they manage their land sustainably. In order to make the agricultural sector more sustainable, a.s.r. has for some time been taking steps, together with farmers, to improve soil health and promote biodiversity. With this new step, a.s.r. aims to accelerate the sustainability transition.
In consultation with the agricultural sector, a.s.r. has drawn up practical sustainability guidelines that farmers must meet in order to be eligible for a discount. The elements of soil, biodiversity and the business are central to this. As far as possible, it was sought to link up with existing sustainability certifications, to avoid extra work for farmers.
Dick van den Oever, Director of Rural Real Estate at a.s.r. real estate: ‘The pressure to make the agricultural sector more sustainable has increased in recent years. a.s.r. believes that all parties in the agricultural chain are jointly responsible for this transition, not only the farmers themselves. We see that improvements for sustainable farming involve investments by farmers. That’s why a.s.r. wants to meet farmers’ needs by compensating them financially with a discount.
Climate-smart farming
Rewarding farmers falls under the climate-smart farming strategy of the ASR Dutch Farmland Fund, the fund that accommodates a.s.r.’s agricultural land. With this strategy, the fund is committed to a sector where fertile land will remain available for future generations of farmers. The fund does this by, among other things, realising a sustainable income with sustainable production, making the agricultural sector climate proof and reducingCO2 where possible.
-
1 Jun 2023Making homes more sustainable offers first-time buyers more opportunities in housing marketStarters on the housing market can increase their choice by 35% if they include houses with a lower energy label in their search and take out an additional mortgage share to make them more sustainable. Yet first-time buyers hardly take advantage of this opportunity, Hypotheken Data Netwerk (“Mortgage Data Network”) results show. Results from a.s.r. confirm this view: in 2022, 13% of first-time buyers who took out a mortgage with a.s.r., made use of an additional sustainability mortgage. This additional mortgage gives first time buyers the means to finance energy-saving measures, making it more attractive to consider homes with a lower energy label as well.
-
31 May 2023Shareholders a.s.r. approve all proposed resolutions at AGMASR Nederland N.V.’s (a.s.r.) shareholders approved all proposed resolutions at today's Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (AGM), including the adoption of the financial statements and the payment of a dividend of € 2.70 per share for the 2022 financial year.
-
30 May 2023Free customised energy advice for mortgage customers a.s.r.a.s.r. announces partnership with Energiebespaarders (“Energy savers”). From 1 June, new mortgage customers of a.s.r. can work with Energiebespaarders for free customised energy advice and to have energy-saving measures implemented. In this way, a.s.r. helps homeowners throughout the entire process, from information to realisation. In the future, a.s.r. will be offering this to all existing mortgage customers as well. The cooperation with Energiebespaarders is in line with a.s.r.’s ambition to remove or lower all barriers to making homes more sustainable and thereby reduce CO2 emissions from homes in the Netherlands.