The SEAM Standard, v1.1

Managing commercial real estate projects' social, cultural, and economic impacts can help reduce poverty and inequality.

• › IA01 Contextual Analysis 7 activities

  • IAa1.1 Establish project understanding and governance framework Driver
  • IAa1.2 Gain a good understanding of the communities likely to be affected by the project by preparing a Community Profile Driver
  • IAa1.3 Map the proposed project value chain Driver
  • IAa1.4 Identify and scope the likely social and human rights impacts of the commercial real estate project Driver
  • IAa1.5 Determine the 'social area of influence' by identifying the likely impacted parties Driver
  • IAa1.6 Create a reliable, credible, equitable, and efficient impacted party engagement plan Driver
  • IAa1.7 Assemble relevant baseline data for key social issues Driver
• › IA02 Impacted Party Engagement 5 activities

  Ensure that impacted parties' views, concerns, and values are considered to increase their well-being.

  • IAa2.1 Fully inform community members about the project and likely impacts Impact
  • IAa2.2 Collect feedback from impacted parties Driver
  • IAa2.3 Develop and implement ways of addressing impacts Driver
  • IAa2.4 Establish a community grievance mechanism for direct reporting of complaints to the Owner Driver
  • IAa2.5 Draft and publish the Social Impact Management Plan (SIMP) Driver
• › IA03 Monitoring + Evaluation 2 activities

  To implement adaptive management so that projects remain responsive to changing circumstances and unforeseen challenges and decrease negative social impacts.

  • IAa3.1 Develop and implement ongoing social performance monitoring plan that addresses obligations from the SIMP Impact
  • IAa3.2 Undertake evaluation and periodic review (audit) Impact

Enables an organization to take responsibility for its actions and serves to increase its ability to behave in a socially responsible manner.

• › TG01 Education + Awareness 3 activities

  Increase the number of organizations operating in a socially responsible way, contributing to equitable development.

  • TGa1.1 Complete interactive, activity-based training on social responsibility principles and practices during the construction project Driver
  • TGa1.2 Complete interactive, activity-based training on social responsibility principles and practices during the operational phase Driver
  • TGa1.3 Promote community education on social responsibility through creative education and awareness signage campaigns Driver
• › TG02 Voluntary Initiatives 2 activities

  Participate in voluntary initiative(s) addressing social responsibility to contribute to a more equitable society.

  • TGa2.1 Participate in a voluntary initiative addressing social responsibility during the construction project Driver
  • TGa2.2 Participate in a voluntary initiative addressing social responsibility on the operating asset Driver
• › TG03 Responsible Policies 2 activities

  Create policies and commitments reflecting understanding of social responsibility to increase ethical and sustainable practices.

  • TGa3.1 Implement site-specific social responsibility policies within construction project governance Impact
  • TGa3.2 Implement site-specific social responsibility policies within governance on the operating asset Impact
• › TG04 Transparent Communication 2 activities

  Promote social responsibility through clear and open communication.

  • TGa4.1 Promote social responsibility through a public-facing communication during the construction project Impact
  • TGa4.2 Promote social responsibility through a public-facing communication on the operating asset Impact
• › TG05 Impacted Party Materiality 2 activities

  Understand impacted party materiality to ensure impacted parties rights are upheld.

  • TGa5.1 Conduct impacted party materiality assessment during the construction project Driver
  • TGa5.2 Conduct impacted party materiality assessment on the operating asset Driver

Organizations can help strengthen civil society through respectful engagement, support, and relationship-building with the community.

• › CI01 Community Development 2 activities

  Actively contribute to the socially sustainable development of communities to increase resilience and well-being.

  • CIa1.1 Design and execute a community involvement initiative that achieves a specific impacted party-centered goal Impact
  • CIa1.2 Participate in a community services event within developed community involvement initiative Impact

An organization can help to promote higher levels of well-being and improve quality of life in the community.

• › SI01 Community Resilience 1 activity

  Contribute to the increase in capacities, resources, and opportunities for the community to increase community self-sufficiency and resilience.

  • SIa1 Contribute to the increase of capacities, resources, and opportunities within a community through financial contribution Impact

No group should have less power or fewer benefits or rights than any other group, whether by race, geography, gender, age, ability, religion, or any other qualifying trait.

• › SJ01 Equity + Inclusion in Procurement 5 activities

  Integrate equitable and inclusive procurement strategies to expand opportunities in commercial real estate.

  • SJa1.1 Achieve equity + inclusion in Tier 1 Supplier procurement Impact
  • SJa1.2 Achieve equity + inclusion in Tenant leasing Impact
  • SJa1.3 Implement inclusive procurement activities in Tier 1 Suppliers' procurement of Tier 2 Suppliers Impact
  • SJa1.4 Achieve equity + inclusion in Tier 2 Supplier procurement Impact
  • SJa1.5 Achieve equity + inclusion for Tenants through social leasing clauses Impact
• › SJ02 Equity + Inclusion in the Workplace 5 activities

  Establish workplaces where all employees feel valued, respected, and fairly treated, irrespective of their backgrounds or identities, to decrease workplace inequalities.

  • SJa2.1 Follow human-centered inclusive design practices Impact
  • SJa2.2 Owner must provide fair and respectful treatment of employees Impact
  • SJa2.3 Tier 1 Suppliers must provide fair and respectful treatment of workers Impact
  • SJa2.4 Owner must ensure equal remuneration, regardless of gender, for work of equal value Impact
  • SJa2.5 Owner must ensure equal remuneration for work of equal value regardless of diversity characteristics Impact
• › SJ03 Equity + Inclusion in the Community 4 activities

  Ensure all persons within the impacted community have the same access to social resources and that rights are respected to increase economic stability.

  • SJa3.1 The Owner shall not acquire land or building assets through eminent domain, compulsory acquisition, resumption, expropriation, or other involuntary displacement Impact
  • SJa3.2 Projects do not infringe on communities Impact
  • SJa3.3 Promote local community employment Impact
  • SJa3.4 Owner shall remediate damage from negative community impacts Impact
• › SJ04 Equity + Inclusion in Capital 2 activities

  Create equitable economic opportunities and achieve social justice goals within communities.

  • SJa4.1 Achieve equity and inclusion in securing equity capital and investors Impact
  • SJa4.2 Achieve equity and inclusion in securing debt capital Impact

The commercial real estate industry can become more culturally responsive and racially just through innovation.

• › IN01 Social Justice Industry Innovation 1 activity

  Advance industry standards through innovative social justice initiatives in commercial real estate to increase equity and improve social outcomes.

  • INa1 Design and execute a social justice strategy, program, partnership, or initiative that elevates the commercial real estate industry Impact
• › IN02 Design for Embodied Justice 1 activity

  Advance equitable design within projects to challenge systemic inequities and prioritize the needs and voices of marginalized communities.

  • INa2 Address root causes of inequity to prevent reproducing inequitable power relationships through an equitably designed feature within the project Impact

Every human is entitled to equal and inalienable rights and fundamental freedoms that should be recognized and protected.

• › HR01 Ethical Materials Procurement 4 activities

  Implement ethical sourcing practices to protect, promote, and advance human rights in the materials supply chain.

  • HRa1.1 Owner shall proactively specify ethical materials in design and planning documents Impact
  • HRa1.2 Conduct a supply chain risk assessment and action plan Impact
  • HRa1.3 Ethical sourcing of products and materials Impact
  • HRa1.4 Owner shall remediate materials procurement negative impacts to human rights Impact
• › HR02 Ethical Suppliers Procurement 7 activities

  Protect, promote, and advance human rights in the labor supply chain to decrease labor exploitation, forced labor, and modern slavery.

  • HRa2.1 Owner shall provide a living wage Impact
  • HRa2.2 Owner shall ensure decent work conditions Impact
  • HRa2.3 Suppliers shall provide a living wage Impact
  • HRa2.4 Suppliers shall ensure decent work conditions Impact
  • HRa2.5 Tenants shall provide a living wage Impact
  • HRa2.6 Tenants shall ensure decent work conditions Impact
  • HRa2.7 Owner shall remediate Supplier procurement negative impacts to human rights Impact
• › HR03 Human Rights Reporting 2 activities

  Ensure transparency and accountability in addressing and communicating human rights impacts to increase identification and rectification of systemic issues.

  • HRa3.1 Communicate externally about human rights impacts and how the Project addresses them Impact
  • HRa3.2 Establish a grievance mechanism for direct reporting of human rights violations to the enterprise Impact
• › HR04 Human Rights Awareness 2 activities

  Promote human rights advocacy in commercial real estate through continuous education and awareness to increase respect for impacted parties’ rights.

  • HRa4.1 Conduct education and training sessions on human rights standards for relevant procurement employees Impact
  • HRa4.2 Conduct educational sessions to share lessons learned + best practices on Human Rights in the commercial real estate industry Impact

Everyone deserves a built environment free from hazards that are likely to cause harm.

• › HS01 Health, Safety, + Wellness 4 activities

  Ensure a safe, healthy built environment that contributes to impacted party wellbeing.

  • HSa1.1 Enhance human health and wellness for occupants of the property through a science-based system of strategies Impact
  • HSa1.2 Safeguard community health, safety, and wellness Impact
  • HSa1.3 Provide safe and healthy jobsites and prevent work-related injury and ill health by eliminating hazards and minimizing occupational health & safety risks Impact
  • HSa1.4 Provide safe and secure structure of all occupiable spaces by ensuring structural integrity and compliance with fire safety Impact