BREEAM-SE och gröna lån : En kvalitativ studie kring miljöcertifieringen BREEAM-SE och kopplingen till bankers gröna lån

Sammanfattning: Abstract   Title: BREEAM-SE and green loans.    Subject: Bachelor's thesis in Business Administration, 15 ECTS - specialization: The profitability achieved by property owners through environmental certification of their properties with BREEAM-SE.   Problem statement: It has been found that environmental certifications and their various criteria tend to vary greatly in terms of complexity. Some criteria are highly challenging and involve significant costs, while others are simple and cost-effective. Achieving a high level of environmental certification does not guarantee the same level of maintenance in the future, as BREEAM's criteria are constantly reviewed and revised based on emerging environmental regulations. Furthermore, credit institutions have played an increasingly important role in the sustainability goals that society strives for. It has been shown that there is some profitability in the bank's implementation of sustainability aspects in credit assessment, which has led to the emergence of "green loans," a relatively new concept in the banking world.   Purpose: The purpose of the thesis is to examine and further explain the degree of profitability that property owners achieve by meeting the requirements for a highly environmentally certified property.   Question at issue: For what reasons do property owners choose to environmentally certify new constructions with BREEAM-SE and its various levels?How does the bank work with "green loans" towards new constructions?  Method: This study has been conducted using an abductive research approach, which is a combination of deductive and inductive research approaches. With this combination of research approaches, we have reviewed scientific articles and analyzed the empirical data collected to gain an overview of how the empirical reality aligns with the theoretical facts.   Results & Discussion: Through the analysis of collected empirical data in relation to theory and background, the thesis resulted in clear answers to the research questions. A BREEAM-SE certification leads to effective marketing, higher market value, easier access to capital, and more energy-efficient buildings. In other words, it overall enhances profitability. While a direct connection to better loan conditions and cheaper financing is rare, it is something that is expected to increase in the future. The specific certification levels within BREEAM-SE are of secondary importance, as the primary focus is on being certified. Keyword: Environmental certification, environmental certification systems, BREEAM-SE, taxonomy, lending institutions, risks, green loans.