Vienna Insurance Group receives OGNI Gold certificate for building at Wiener Rathausplatz

The building, which is owned by VIG and located in a prime inner-city location, was completely renovated, thermally insulated and connected to district heating within two years. A photovoltaic system will also be implemented on the roof. The renovation of the building complex was realised in cooperation with the City of Vienna. For this, VIG received the ÖGNI certificate in gold. ÖGNI is an NGO for establishing sustainability in the construction and real estate industry and certifies buildings with high ecological, economical and socio-cultural added value for the environment, the building owners and users. According to ÖGNI, sustainable real estate forms the basis for a livable city with measurable added value for both people and the environment. This position is also in line with Vienna Insurance Group's sustainability strategy in the area of investments. 

"This is a sustainable showcase renovation that makes a significant contribution to climate protection. Renovation is a topic for the future. With the renovation campaign 'Wir SAN Wien', we are preparing our city for the next decades in order to be fit for the climate and the future", says Deputy Mayor and City Councillor for Housing Kathrin Gaál. 

VIG Group places a special focus on social issues as part of its ESG activities and is committed to affordable and sustainable housing. "We see real estate as one of the biggest levers in the EU's Green Deal. Buildings account for 40% of total energy consumption and 36% of greenhouse gas emissions in the EU. Well over 80% of today's EU real estate stock will still be in use in 2050. Thermal renovation and the use of renewable energy in buildings are therefore all the more important. We have been actively implementing measures in this area for many years and want to further strengthen them in the direction of green sustainability", explains Gerhard Lahner, member of the Vienna Insurance Group Managing Board and responsible for Asset Management.

VIG has invested around EUR 20 million in the renovation of the building on Rathausplatz. The arcade building, built by Friedrich Schmidt and Franz Xaver Neumann in 1880, is inhabited by municipal departments (MA 5 - Finance, Budgeting and Statistics, Vienna Business Agency, WKO). Between 1961 and 1964, architect Erich Boltenstern rebuilt the building on behalf of Wiener Städtische Versicherung.