Best Practice / Facility Management / Sustainable operation

The Commerzbank Arena in Frankfurt am Main has been presented with the coveted GEFMA160 Certificate for its sustainable real estate operations. Apleona HSG is responsible for facility management in the modern multi-functional arena.

Auditors from the industry association GEFMA took a very close look at 24 certification criteria. These are derived from aspects of sustainability that include ecology, economy and social culture as well criteria related to the organization of facility management and further service aspects. 

The Commerzbank Arena in Frankfurt was the first special use property to be awarded positive sustainability certification with the GEFMA 160. Every year, some 1.3 million people visit the roughly 270,000 square meter stadium grounds. What impressed the auditors most about the Commerzbank Arena was the modern energy and water management, the building and occupational safety management as well as a sustainable human resources concept. 

For Otto Kajetan Weixler, Head of Executive Management at Apleona HSG and Chief Executive Officer of GEFMA, the award is an important step toward expanding sustainability in facility management: “Real-estate properties have been presented with the GEFMA 160 certificate for sustainable operations since 2015.” Retail and special-use properties are now included in this group, along with office properties. Even though many property owners are still ignoring the economic and ecological value of sustainable operations, the increasing mix of certified real-estate types makes one thing very clear: Facility management with responsibility for people, nature and budgets is an issue with a future.”