Better Health for All

Equity Residential's core business of providing high-quality apartment properties, combined with community wellness programs for residents, provides modest health benefits. The company has no revenue from products with significant negative health impacts. Operations generate positive health externalities through resident programs that aim to foster community and enhance resident satisfaction, indirectly supporting better health outcomes.

However, the company explicitly targets affluent markets, which significantly limits access to its housing for low-income or marginalized populations. While the company offers community wellness programs for residents, including aspects that could relate to preventative health and mental health, the scale and investment in these areas are not specified, and employee-focused initiatives are outside the scope of this value.

Fair Money & Economic Opportunity

Equity Residential, a real estate investment trust (REIT), manages approximately 2,700 units of affordable housing out of its total portfolio of 86,320 apartment units.

This represents about 3.13% of its units serving underserved populations, with 92% of residents at 1,405 of these units making less than 60% of the Area Median Income and paying 33% below market rents. The company's stated focus is on "Affluent Renters." As Equity Residential does not offer lending or deposit services, consumer credit products, or financial services access points, most KPIs related to financial products, fees, and literacy are not applicable.

Fair Pay & Worker Respect

In 2023, Equity Residential's employee engagement survey reported a 78% favorability score, placing the company in the top 25% of its vendor’s book of business

. The company also achieved an 84% D&I index score from the same survey . In 2023, 99% of employees completed 'Cultural Citizenship' education and 99% of managers completed 'Inclusive Leadership' courses . Employees are provided eight hours of paid time annually for community service, dedicating over 3,400 hours in 2023 . The company maintains share ownership guidelines for executives, requiring the CEO to hold shares equivalent to six times their base salary , and has a formal executive compensation clawback policy . However, some employees have expressed concerns regarding work-life balance, management practices, and the handling of harassment complaints on platforms like Glassdoor .

Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing

Equity Residential's business as a Residential REIT primarily involves acquiring, developing, and managing apartment properties.

The nature of its operations does not heavily involve fair trade or ethical sourcing practices, reflecting limited direct engagement with supply chains typical for physical commodities or high-risk materials. Consequently, the company does not procure or trade physical commodities that would require fair-trade certifications, nor does it have material sourcing of at-risk inputs. No specific information or recent developments regarding other ethical sourcing practices, such as supplier audits, forced or child labor incidents, supply chain traceability, remediation processes, ethical clauses in contracts, or supplier diversity spend, were found in the provided articles.

Honest & Fair Business

The company reported no financial restatements reflecting the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements in its 2024 annual report.

No specific, quantifiable evidence was found for the remaining KPIs within the past three to five years, leading to their omission.

Kind to Animals

Equity Residential, as a residential real estate investment trust, primarily focuses on real estate development and management. Its operations inherently have minimal direct impact on animal-related industries.

The company does not engage in animal testing, animal agriculture, or the production of animal-derived products, rendering most animal welfare KPIs not applicable. While the company's pet policies allow residents to have pets with typical restrictions and fees, there is no evidence of direct involvement in animal welfare initiatives. The company has implemented environmental sustainability practices, such as solar photovoltaic systems in a third of its properties, which contribute to reduced greenhouse gas emissions and offer indirect benefits to wildlife and ecosystems. However, the provided articles do not contain specific, measurable data on biodiversity impact from conservation initiatives.

No War, No Weapons

Equity Residential is a real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on residential properties.

The company has no direct involvement in military activities or weapons manufacturing. As a result, it derives 0% of its revenue from arms or defense contracts, has no defense business requiring board oversight, no need for ethical red lines concerning weapons, and no exposure to controversial weapons. There are also no defense assets that require divestment.

Planet-Friendly Business

Equity Residential has an SBTi-validated target, approved in 2023, to reduce absolute Scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG emissions by 30% by 2030 from a 2018 base year, aligned with a well below 2°C scenario.

As of 2024, cumulative absolute Scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG emissions were reduced by 14.7% from the 2018 baseline. In 2024, 2.1% of total energy consumed was from renewable sources, with 119 clean energy sites and 63 sites powered by solar photovoltaic power. As of 2024, 12.6% of the portfolio by square feet had a green building certification , and all 10 development projects in 2024, valued at $1.65 billion, are targeted for LEED or equivalent certification. The waste diversion rate was 22.5% in 2024. The company's report integrates the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and includes a TCFD Index. It conducts portfolio-wide climate risk assessments and scenario analysis , reviewing RCP 2.6, RCP 4.5, and RCP 8.5 scenarios to develop its climate resilience strategy, including assessing assets for potential non-compliance under a well below 2°C scenario. The company evaluates climate-related regulations and considers high-risk assets for expedited disposition. In 2024, 40% of water withdrawn was sourced from regions with high or extremely high baseline water stress.

Respect for Cultures & Communities

No specific information or recent articles were found detailing Equity Residential's actions related to the value of 'Respect for Cultures & Communities,' particularly concerning the protection of indigenous rights, cultural heritage, and local traditions.

Therefore, no KPIs could be scored based on the provided evidence.

Safe & Smart Tech

In 2022, Equity Residential faced a lawsuit from tenants in Los Angeles who alleged the company conducted 'investigative consumer reports' without proper disclosure and intentionally withheld information, violating privacy rights

. Also in 2022, it was found that the company shared tenant personal details, including names and home addresses, with third-party companies without explicit consent, a practice permitted by its privacy policy . The company's privacy policy outlines the collection of personal information, such as names, contact information, payment details, and demographic data, which it shares with service providers .

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

The provided articles do not contain specific, quantifiable data related to Equity Residential's zero waste and sustainable products initiatives. Information regarding waste management practices, such as waste diversion rates, packaging sustainability, or specific waste reduction initiatives, is explicitly stated as not readily available or limited.

The company's reported sustainability efforts and goals primarily focus on energy efficiency, emissions reduction, and water consumption, as detailed in its Corporate Responsibility Report and environmental targets. While Equity Residential invests in green financing for LEED-certified properties, the articles do not provide waste-related metrics for these developments or the company's overall operations.