At Essex, we are committed to inclusive workplace policies and are honored to be one of the 483 firms in the 2023 index. This reference index measures gender equality across five pillars: leadership & talent pipeline, equal pay & gender pay parity, inclusive culture, anti-sexual harassment policies, and external brand.

Essex has been awarded the 2021 Excellence Award for Diversity & Inclusion as recognized by the National Apartment Association (“NAA”) for the Company’s ongoing efforts to improve diversity and inclusion within Essex and the business community.

Essex has joined the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion Pledge. In joining the pledge, the Company is committed to further improving diversity and inclusion within Essex and the business community. The pledge includes, but is not limited to the following:

1. Continuing to make our workplaces trusting places to have complex, and sometimes difficult conversations about diversity and inclusion
2. Implementing and expanding unconscious bias education
3. Sharing best – and unsuccessful – practices
4. Creating and sharing strategic inclusion and diversity plans with our board of directors

Essex participated in the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark, earning its sixth consecutive “Green Star” for its sustainability performance and second consecutive "A" rating for Public Disclosure. Essex received strong scores in several categories including risk management, stakeholder engagement, policy and targets, tenants and community, and performance indicators, all of which are in-line or above the peer average.

Essex has been recognized by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (“NAREIT”) with the Bronze Award for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the 2020 annual REITWorld conference. The award was in recognition of Essex’s outstanding contributions to the advancement of diversity, equity, and inclusion within the Company and REIT community.

Essex has been recognized in 2020 for having the best Investor Relations in the Real Estate sector as determined by IR Magazine.

Since the inception of LEED, Essex has developed eighteen apartment communities that are LEED Certified, including eight Gold and eight Silver certifications, with two additional certifications currently pending. A nationally recognized program, LEED was established by the U.S. Building Council to encourage the design of environmentally responsible buildings. LEED is the most widely used third-party verification for green buildings worldwide.

Essex has achieved GreenPoint Rated certifications on ten ground-up multifamily developments. GreenPoint Rated is the most trusted independent green home certification program in California, providing proof that a home is healthy, comfortable, durable, and resource efficient. The program is administered by Build It Green, a nonprofit with a mission to help professionals adopt green practices and grow the market for efficient healthy homes.

Essex currently has developed two properties that have been certified under Built Green, an environmentally-friendly building program in Washington state. Created by the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties, the program's mission is to promote green building methods and practices, and to enhance its communities through leadership in sustainable development.