About CREFM
The Campus Real Estate & Facility Management (CREFM) department is responsible within TU Delft for the development and management of the university’s property portfolio and facilities. CREFM focuses on creating a high-quality and future-proof campus environment that optimally supports education, research and innovation. In doing so, the organisation plays a pioneering role in the field of sustainability, with a focus on themes such as energy consumption, circularity, biodiversity and waste streams. By linking policy, management and project implementation with strategic sustainability initiatives, CREFM contributes directly to TU Delft’s sustainability objectives and social responsibility.
The client's challenge
CREFM sees the need to improve their understanding of sustainability performance and to further enhance data-driven management in the areas of property and campus development. The CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) and the associated ESRS (European Sustainability Reporting Standard) were to serve as a guiding framework to clarify which sustainability themes and performance indicators CREFM should focus on.
Based on this need, CREFM sought to develop robust GHG calculations for 2024 and 2025, as well as a data monitoring system. These tools are intended to help provide a structured overview of sustainability data, monitor performance more effectively, and steer the organisation effectively towards its sustainability targets.
In addition, CREFM wanted to explore how this process could be embedded internally in the future. This involves bringing together content and data, and collaborating between different departments and areas of expertise.
Our approach
We started by conducting a Double Materiality review based on desk research and engagement with internal experts. In addition, peers, relevant standards such as ESRS, benchmarks such as GRESB, and the Guidance on Voluntary Sustainability Reporting for Education and Knowledge Institutions (Handreiking vrijwillige duurzaamheidsverantwoording Onderwijs- & kennisinstellingen) were analysed, which provide insight into the topics, objectives and KPIs used within the sector.
Subsequently, to ensure no material sustainability topic and target is overlooked, we carried out a gap analysis on the current ESG monitoring system, and drew up a list of KPIs linked to CREFM's sustainability targets. The KPIs were further categorised into ‘must-haves’, ‘nice-to-haves’ and redundant, based on a mapping against ESRS requirements.
Inventorying emissions for CREFM emerged as a must-have KPI. To lay a solid foundation for this, emissions for 2024 and 2025 were mapped out. This concerned emissions arising from the consumption and energy performance of managed buildings, supplemented by emissions from, among others, material use in renovations and new construction, procurement of products and services, hospitality, waste management, and furniture.
Finally, a methodology has been developed for an integrated reporting structure, structured according to the themes on which CREFM and TU Delft wish to manage and report.
The result
Our work with CREFM resulted in a transferable GHG emissions monitoring system and action plans fully aligned with the sustainability goals of CREFM and TU Delft, the ESRS/CSRD, and the sector-specific OCW guidelines.
With clear-defined measurement methodology, roles and responsibilities, processes and controls, the monitoring system ensures continuous improvement on internal control and monitoring progress towards TU Delft's sustainability ambitions. The structure includes, among other things, measurement methodologies, roles and responsibilities, processes and controls, and the necessary systems for collecting, managing, and reporting sustainability information.
Additionally, a roadmap has been created which outlines clear steps and actions to further develop the process for collecting, improving and safeguarding sustainability information, enabling CREFM to monitor sustainability progress more systematically and streamlined in the coming years.
