Empire State Realty Trust operates some of the most visible buildings in the world. With that visibility comes scrutiny, especially when it comes to sustainability disclosures. As nature-related disclosure requirements evolved, ESRT needed more than static assessments or modeled assumptions. The challenge was to monitor biodiversity over time, produce site-level data, and reuse that data consistently across sustainability frameworks and investor reporting.
Assumptions were no longer sufficient. Disclosures needed evidence. ESRT wanted nature data that was repeatable, comparable across assets, and delivered on a defined schedule, without increasing operational burden for property teams.
ESRT deployed Aura by Alvéole to generate site-level nature data across several properties, including the Empire State Building. Aura combines on-site bioacoustic monitoring with remote sensing to generate ongoing biodiversity indicators at the asset level. These indicators document species presence, ecosystem conditions, and environmental pressures and are structured for portfolio aggregation, benchmarking, and disclosure use.
This shifted ESRT’s nature reporting from inference to continuous monitoring. Instead of relying on surrounding land-use proxies or annual snapshots, ESRT now references building-specific nature data, updated over time and aligned with frameworks such as GRESB and other sustainability reporting requirements.
“Our partnership with Aura at our flagship Empire State Building has enabled us to better understand the urban biodiversity and ecological value that our properties provide,” said Dana Robbins Schneider, SVP, Director of Energy and Sustainability at ESRT. “It helps us meet rapidly evolving reporting expectations and contributes to our overall sustainability goals.”
For ESRT, the Empire State Building now serves as a reference asset. The data generated through Aura established a repeatable model for expanding nature monitoring and disclosure across the portfolio.
Nature reporting is no longer aspirational. It is now measurable, monitored over time, and defensible.
