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Key Sustainability Aspects at Vonovia

A home is a basic human need. We meet this basic need by creating new living space and letting existing living space. We do so responsibly and sustainably by paying attention to the environmental footprint of our buildings and by having committed to the goal of climate-neutral housing stock. We also do so by living up to our social responsibility and offering residential units at fair prices for different groups within society. We do so through a governance structure that meets high value benchmarks and that is well suited to being perceived as trustworthy and reliable by our stakeholders.

Vonovia systematically manages the main sustainability topics for the company on the basis of three dimensions: the relevance of social and environmental changes on the business and on value creation (outside-in perspective), the impacts of the business model and company activities on the environment and society (inside-out perspective), and from the viewpoint of our relevant stakeholder groups. The materiality matrix that builds on this categorizes eleven material topics – which will be explained in more detail in the subsequent chapters of this Non-financial Group Declaration – and 22 further important sustainability topics within seven areas for action.

The materiality analysis of sustainability topics for Vonovia SE, newly prepared in the previous fiscal year, remains in place unchanged and represents the leading system for the non-financial topics.

Materiality Matrix

In preparation for the business combination of Vonovia with Deutsche Wohnen, we compared the sustainability analyses of both companies in a first step, assigning the Deutsche Wohnen sustainability topics to those of Vonovia. On account of the similar business models and approaches, we have determined that there is, as expected, significant alignment between the material topics and their evaluation; this means that virtually all material topics of Deutsche Wohnen can be integrated within the structure of Vonovia and reconciled with the material topics of Vonovia. The two material topics of Deutsche Wohnen – “Customer health and safety” and “Transparency and dialog with stakeholders” – dovetail with further important sustainability topics of Vonovia and are described in more detail in the sustainability report. We refer to other relevant differences in the chapters concerned in this Non-financial Group Declaration.

The complete consolidation of concepts, targets and measures within the material non-financial topics identified in the Vonovia materiality process will be achieved as part of the integration process in 2022. For the 2021 fiscal year, Deutsche Wohnen SE is preparing its own non-financial Group declaration, taking into account all material topics of Deutsche Wohnen.

In terms of the direction of its sustainability strategy, Vonovia is also guided by international standards and frameworks, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the UN Global Compact. As a company with international operations, we aim to contribute to achieving these goals with our business in Germany, Austria and Sweden. To this end, we have identified eight central SDGs that guide our actions (see also the SDG policy at Investor Relations website). We show our progress in terms of achieving these goals, especially in our sustainability report.

Key SDGs for Vonovia

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