Cousins Properties Incorporated (CUZ): Análisis PESTLE [Actualizado en Ene-2025]

En el panorama dinámico de la inversión inmobiliaria, Cousins ​​Properties Incorporated (CZZ) se encuentra en la encrucijada de la toma de decisiones estratégicas, navegando por una compleja red de desafíos políticos, económicos, sociológicos, tecnológicos, legales y ambientales. Este análisis integral de mano presenta los intrincados factores que dan forma a la trayectoria de la compañía, ofreciendo una visión panorámica de las fuerzas externas críticas que influyen en sus operaciones, inversiones y sostenibilidad a largo plazo en el mercado inmobiliario competitivo.

Cousins ​​Properties Incorporated (CuZ) - Análisis de mortero: factores políticos

Impacto potencial de las regulaciones de zonificación en el desarrollo inmobiliario en los mercados clave

Las regulaciones de zonificación en Atlanta, Georgia, afectan significativamente las estrategias de desarrollo de Cousins ​​Properties. A partir de 2024, los códigos de zonificación de Atlanta requieren:

Categoría de zonificación	Regulación específica	Impacto en cuz
Desarrollo comercial	Límites de la relación del área del piso (FAR)	Máxima relación 4: 1 en las áreas del centro
Zonas de uso mixto	Restricciones de altura	Máximo de 20 pisos en el distrito de Midtown

Incentivos del gobierno local para inversiones inmobiliarias comerciales y de uso mixto

Georgia ofrece incentivos fiscales específicos para el desarrollo inmobiliario:

• AD VALOREM Reducción fiscal: hasta el 75% de reducción durante 10 años
• Crédito del impuesto sobre el trabajo: $ 3,500 por nuevo trabajo creado en áreas designadas
• Inversiones de la zona de oportunidad: aplazamiento fiscal y exclusión potencial de ganancias de capital

Estabilidad política en el sureste de los Estados Unidos

Análisis de panorama político para las principales regiones operativas de CuZ:

Estado	Índice de estabilidad política	Clima de inversión inmobiliaria
Georgia	8.6/10	Muy favorable
Florida	8.4/10	Entorno para negocios
Carolina del Norte	8.2/10	Potencial de crecimiento moderado

Cambios potenciales en las políticas fiscales que afectan a REIT

Consideraciones de impuestos REIT actuales para las propiedades de los primos:

• Tasa de impuestos corporativos: 21% a partir de 2024
• Requisito de distribución de dividendos REIT: 90% de los ingresos imponibles
• Cambios legislativos potenciales bajo consideración:
  • Reducción potencial en los beneficios fiscales de REIT
  • Limitaciones propuestas en 1031 aplazamientos de intercambio

Cousins ​​Properties Incorporated (CuZ) - Análisis de mortero: factores económicos

Sensibilidad a las fluctuaciones del mercado inmobiliario comercial

A partir del cuarto trimestre de 2023, Cousins ​​Properties informó una cartera de bienes raíces comerciales totales valorada en $ 3.96 mil millones, con un enfoque en las propiedades de oficina y uso mixto en los mercados clave de Sunbelt.

Mercado	Valor de cartera	Tasa de ocupación
Atlanta	$ 1.58 mil millones	87.3%
Fénix	$ 742 millones	83.6%
Austin	$ 621 millones	85.9%

Impacto de los cambios en la tasa de interés en las valoraciones de la propiedad y el financiamiento

A partir de enero de 2024, la tasa de fondos federales es de 5.33%, influyendo directamente en los costos financieros de Cousins ​​Properties y las valoraciones de la propiedad.

Métrico	Valor 2023	2024 proyección
Tasa de interés promedio ponderada	4.87%	5.12%
Relación deuda / capital	0.52	0.55

Recuperación económica y crecimiento en los mercados objetivo

Indicadores económicos para mercados clave:

• Crecimiento del PIB de Atlanta: 3.2% en 2023
• Phoenix Growing del mercado laboral: 2.8% en 2023
• Tasa de empleo de Austin: aumento del 3.5% en 2023

Mercado	Crecimiento del PIB	Crecimiento del mercado laboral
Atlanta	3.2%	2.5%
Fénix	2.9%	2.8%
Austin	4.1%	3.5%

Efectos potenciales de la inflación en los valores de las propiedades e ingresos por alquiler

Tasa de inflación de los Estados Unidos a diciembre de 2023: 3.4%

Métrico	Valor 2023	2024 proyección
Aumento promedio de la tasa de alquiler	3.7%	4.2%
Apreciación del valor de la propiedad	2.9%	3.5%

Cousins ​​Properties Incorporated (CuZ) - Análisis de mortero: factores sociales

Cambiando las tendencias del lugar de trabajo que afectan la demanda del espacio de la oficina

A partir del cuarto trimestre de 2023, los modelos de trabajo híbrido afectaron las tasas de ocupación de la oficina:

Métrico	Porcentaje
Ocupación de oficina promedio	47.8%
Empresas que adoptan el trabajo híbrido	62.3%
Empleados que prefieren remoto/híbrido	73.6%

Patrones de migración urbana en áreas metropolitanas objetivo

Tendencias de migración para mercados clave:

Área metropolitana	Crecimiento de la población (2022-2023)
Atlanta, GA	1.2%
Charlotte, NC	1.7%
Phoenix, AZ	1.5%

Preferencia creciente por desarrollos inmobiliarios de uso mixto y sostenibles

Indicadores de mercado de desarrollo sostenible:

Métrica de sostenibilidad	Valor
Cuota de mercado de construcción verde	43.5%
Demanda de certificación LEED	38.2%
Integración de energía renovable	26.7%

Cambios demográficos que influyen en las necesidades inmobiliarias comerciales y residenciales

Datos de cambio demográfico:

Segmento demográfico	Índice de crecimiento
Propietaria del milenio	37.8%
Mercado de alquiler de Gen Z	22.5%
Demanda de vida mayor	15.3%

Cousins ​​Properties Incorporated (CuZ) - Análisis de mortero: factores tecnológicos

Implementación de tecnologías de construcción inteligente en la cartera de propiedades

Cousins ​​Properties ha invertido $ 12.7 millones en tecnologías de construcción inteligente en su cartera en 2023. La compañía desplegó sensores IoT en el 85% de sus propiedades comerciales, lo que permite el monitoreo en tiempo real de los sistemas de construcción.

Tipo de tecnología	Porcentaje de implementación	Inversión anual
Sistemas inteligentes de HVAC	92%	$ 4.3 millones
Sensores de ocupación	88%	$ 3.2 millones
Sistemas de gestión de energía	79%	$ 5.2 millones

Transformación digital de la administración de propiedades y los procesos de arrendamiento

Cousins ​​Properties implementó una plataforma de arrendamiento digital con 98% de procesamiento de contratos digitales. La compañía informó una reducción del 42% en el tiempo del ciclo de arrendamiento a través de la integración tecnológica.

Proceso digital	Mejora de la eficiencia	Ahorro de costos
Aplicaciones de arrendamiento en línea	67%	$ 1.5 millones
Gestión de documentos digitales	55%	$ 2.1 millones

Adopción de análisis de datos avanzados para la valoración y la inversión de la propiedad

La compañía invirtió $ 8.6 millones en plataformas de análisis predictivos avanzados. Las herramientas de análisis de datos ahora cubren el 93% de la cartera de propiedades, lo que permite decisiones de inversión más precisas.

Herramienta de análisis	Cobertura	Inversión
Modelos de valoración predictiva	93%	$ 4.2 millones
Algoritmos de evaluación de riesgos	87%	$ 4.4 millones

Integración de sistemas de gestión de IoT y energía en propiedades comerciales

Propiedades de primos logradas 37% de mejora de la eficiencia energética a través de la integración de IoT. La inversión total en IoT Energy Management alcanzó los $ 6.9 millones en 2023.

Sistema IoT	Ahorro de energía	Inversión anual
Controles de iluminación inteligente	22%	$ 2.3 millones
Gestión automatizada de HVAC	15%	$ 4.6 millones

Cousins ​​Properties Incorporated (CUZ) - Análisis de mortero: factores legales

Cumplimiento de las regulaciones de REIT y los requisitos fiscales

A partir de 2024, Cousins ​​Properties mantiene su estado como un fideicomiso de inversión inmobiliaria (REIT), con una tasa de cumplimiento del 100% para las regulaciones REIT. La estructura fiscal de la compañía demuestra las siguientes métricas clave:

Métrica fiscal	Valor específico
Requisito de distribución de dividendos	90% de los ingresos imponibles
Beneficio de tasas impositivas corporativas	0% impuesto corporativo federal
Costo anual de cumplimiento fiscal	$ 1.2 millones

Posibles riesgos de litigios en el desarrollo y gestión inmobiliaria

Cousins ​​Properties ha documentado las siguientes métricas relacionadas con el litigio:

Categoría de litigio	Número de casos activos	Gastos legales estimados
Contrato disputas	3	$750,000
Reclamaciones de desarrollo de propiedades	2	$450,000
Casos relacionados con el empleo	1	$250,000

Adhesión a las regulaciones de seguridad ambiental y de construcción

Métricas de cumplimiento ambiental:

• Edificios certificados LEED: 85% de la cartera
• Gastos anuales de auditoría ambiental: $ 350,000
• Tasa de cumplimiento regulatorio: 99.7%

Obligaciones contractuales con inquilinos y socios de desarrollo

Tipo de contrato	Número total	Valor de contrato promedio
Contratos de arrendamiento comercial	127	$ 3.5 millones
Contratos de asociación de desarrollo	12	$ 25 millones
Acuerdos de gestión de propiedades	43	$ 1.8 millones

Cousins ​​Properties Incorporated (CUZ) - Análisis de mortero: factores ambientales

Compromiso con prácticas de construcción sostenibles y certificaciones verdes

A partir de 2024, Cousins ​​Properties ha logrado Certificación LEED Gold para el 85% de su cartera de oficina. La estrategia de construcción ecológica de la compañía se centra en reducir el impacto ambiental a través de prácticas de diseño y construcción sostenibles.

Tipo de certificación verde	Porcentaje de cartera	Hoques cuadrados totales
Oro leed	85%	4.2 millones de pies cuadrados
Plateado	12%	0.6 millones de pies cuadrados
Energy Star certificado	70%	3.5 millones de pies cuadrados

Iniciativas de eficiencia energética en la cartera de propiedades

La compañía ha implementado medidas integrales de eficiencia energética en su cartera de bienes raíces:

• Reducido el consumo de energía en un 22% desde 2019
• Invirtió $ 12.3 millones en tecnologías de eficiencia energética en 2023
• Implementó sistemas de gestión de edificios inteligentes en el 95% de las propiedades

Métrica de eficiencia energética	2023 rendimiento	Objetivo de reducción
Reducción total de energía	22%	30% para 2025
Ahorro anual de costos de energía	$ 4.7 millones	N / A
Reducción de emisiones de carbono	18%	25% para 2026

Estrategias de adaptación al cambio climático para inversiones inmobiliarias

Cousins ​​Properties ha desarrollado una sólida estrategia de resiliencia climática con asignaciones de inversión específicas:

• $ 25 millones asignados para la infraestructura de adaptación climática
• Evaluación de riesgos completada para el 100% de las propiedades en regiones climáticas vulnerables
• Implementadas estrategias de mitigación de inundaciones en 15 propiedades de alto riesgo

Reducción de la huella de carbono en las operaciones de desarrollo y gestión

La compañía se ha comprometido a estrategias integrales de reducción de carbono:

• Alcance 1 y 2 emisiones de carbono reducidas en un 25% desde 2020
• Contratos de energía renovable que cubren el 40% del consumo de energía total
• $ 18.6 millones invertidos en actualizaciones de infraestructura sostenible

Métrica de reducción de carbono	2023 rendimiento	Meta a largo plazo
Reducción total de emisiones de carbono	25%	50% para 2030
Cobertura de energía renovable	40%	75% para 2028
Inversión de infraestructura sostenible	$ 18.6 millones	Compromiso anual continuo

Cousins Properties Incorporated (CUZ) - PESTLE Analysis: Social factors

Sustained population and business migration into Sun Belt cities like Austin and Dallas

You cannot talk about Cousins Properties Incorporated without starting with the Sun Belt migration; it's the core of their business model. This isn't a temporary blip; it's a decades-long demographic shift that has firmly re-accelerated in 2025. People and companies are moving from high-cost, high-tax states-like California and New York-to places like Texas and Florida for greater affordability and a pro-business environment. Texas alone added over 560,000 residents in 2024, pushing the state's population past the 31 million mark. This influx creates a deep pool of educated talent, which in turn attracts more corporate tenants, fueling a virtuous cycle for Cousins Properties' key markets.

The company is seeing a notable pickup in leasing interest from West Coast and New York City-based companies, especially in financial services and large-cap technology. For example, Austin's tech sector saw explosive job growth, adding over 25,000 positions in 2023, driving demand for new, high-quality office space. Honestly, the social pull of lower taxes and a better quality of life is the primary tailwind for Cousins Properties.

Corporate 'flight to quality' drives demand for newer, highly-amenitized Class A office space

The office market is bifurcated: old, obsolete buildings are struggling, but the newest, best Class A assets are thriving. This is the 'flight to quality' trend. Companies are demanding premier workplaces to successfully implement their return-to-office strategies and compete for top talent. Cousins Properties is perfectly positioned here, as their entire portfolio is 100% Class A with an average building age of just 2011.

The data clearly shows the premium. The vacancy rate for this top-tier office space in the Sun Belt is only around 13%, which is significantly lower than the 19% vacancy rate for the broader office market. This scarcity lets Cousins Properties push rents; their asking rents are currently 24% above the Class A market average in their submarkets. This is why their second-generation net rent roll-up on a cash basis increased by a healthy 4.9% for the nine months ended September 30, 2025.

Widespread return-to-office mandates are accelerating physical space requirements for tenants

We've moved past the debate over if employees will return to the office, and now the focus is on how much space they need. Stricter return-to-office mandates from major employers are accelerating physical space requirements. A KPMG survey found that 85% of CEOs now expect employees back full-time, a sharp increase from 64% in 2023. Furthermore, the percentage of Fortune 100 companies requiring a five-day workweek has soared to about 55% from just 5% two years ago. Cousins Properties' CEO, Colin Connolly, summed it up: 'Return to office is transitioning to a return to normal.'

This social pressure is translating directly into leasing activity. In Q3 2025 alone, Cousins Properties executed leases for 551,000 square feet of office space, which was their second-highest quarterly volume in three years. Their Sun Belt leasing activity reached 104% of 2019 levels in Q3 2025, confirming that demand for their specific product is not only recovering but exceeding pre-pandemic norms.

Focus on 'lifestyle office' properties in urban, walkable, mixed-use districts is paramount

The new social contract for the office is that it must be an experience, not just a desk. This is the 'lifestyle office' concept-highly-amenitized properties in urban, walkable, mixed-use districts. Cousins Properties has made this the centerpiece of their strategy. They are targeting properties that offer a vibrant environment to draw employees back. The acquisition of The Link in Uptown Dallas in Q2 2025 is a concrete example of this strategy.

Key 2025 Performance Metric	Value (as of Q3 2025)	Social Trend Link
Full-Year 2025 FFO Guidance Midpoint	$2.84 per share (5.6% growth over 2024)	Financial benefit of Sun Belt migration and Flight to Quality
Q3 2025 Leasing Volume	551,000 square feet	Direct result of Return-to-Office mandates accelerating space needs
Second-Generation Cash Rent Roll-up (YTD Q3 2025)	4.9%	Pricing power from Flight to Quality demand
The Link, Dallas Acquisition Price (Q2 2025)	$218 million	Investment in 'Lifestyle Office' properties

This focus on lifestyle properties is defintely a key differentiator, and it's why Cousins Properties' portfolio leased occupancy remains strong at 91.6% as of Q2 2025. They are capturing the demand from tenants who are consolidating into the best space possible to make the commute worthwhile for their employees.

The social factors driving Cousins Properties' success boil down to three reinforcing trends:

• Migration from high-tax states to Sun Belt hubs.
• Corporate mandates forcing a 'return to normal' work environment.
• Employee preference for high-quality, amenity-rich 'lifestyle office' buildings.

Cousins Properties Incorporated (CUZ) - PESTLE Analysis: Technological factors

High demand from select large-cap technology companies for trophy assets, exemplified by a 320,000 square foot lease extension in Austin.

The core of Cousins Properties' strategy relies on attracting and retaining large, financially stable customers, and technology is the biggest driver of this demand. You see this clearly in Austin, where a Fortune 100 technology company (widely reported to be IBM) signed a 320,000 square foot full-building lease at Domain 12. This customer assumed the existing lease from Meta Platforms and extended the term dramatically, pushing the maturity out to 2040.

This transaction is a perfect example of flight-to-quality-companies are consolidating into 'trophy assets' that offer a superior, tech-enabled experience to lure employees back to the office. Cousins Properties' Domain portfolio is already over 99% leased, comprising 2.5 million square feet, showing that their investment in high-quality, amenity-rich properties in Sun Belt markets is defintely paying off.

Need to continuously invest in smart building technology, enhanced ventilation, and superior connectivity to meet tenant demands.

Securing a long-term lease like the one at Domain 12 requires a massive, continuous capital commitment to technology and infrastructure. You cannot be a 'lifestyle office' provider without being a technology leader. As of June 30, 2025, Cousins Properties had material capital expenditure (CapEx) commitments of $109.5 million for unfunded tenant improvements and construction costs. This investment pool is what funds the smart building technology-the digital backbone that tenants now demand.

Here's the quick math: that $109.5 million commitment is the price of entry to maintain the Class A, trophy status. It funds everything from superior connectivity (fiber-optic infrastructure) to enhanced air quality systems (like high-efficiency filtration) and building automation systems (BAS) that optimize energy use and tenant comfort.

The focus is on creating a resilient portfolio that meets modern environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards, which are heavily reliant on technology.

Technological/Capital Commitment Metric	Value (2025 Fiscal Data)	Strategic Impact
Unfunded Tenant Improvements & Construction Costs (as of 6/30/2025)	$109.5 million	Required CapEx to meet new tenant fit-out demands, including smart office tech.
Major Tech Lease Signed (Austin)	320,000 square feet	Validates the strategy of prioritizing trophy assets for large-cap technology tenants.
Lease Term Extension (Austin)	Extended to 2040	Secures long-term revenue stream, mitigating near-term market risk.

Integration of amenities like electric vehicle (EV) charging stations is a competitive necessity.

The amenity race is a technology race, and electric vehicle (EV) charging stations are now a non-negotiable feature for Class A office space. It's not a nice-to-have; it's a competitive necessity for employee recruitment and retention, especially for the tech and finance tenants Cousins Properties targets.

The company has been aggressive in this area. According to their 2024 Corporate Responsibility Report, which reflects current operations, they have installed EV charging stations in 77% of their buildings. This high penetration rate significantly outpaces many competitors and is a direct result of their strategy to prioritize amenity-rich, walkable locations.

This focus on infrastructure technology extends beyond just cars. It also includes:

• On-site bicycle storage in 97% of buildings.
• Prioritizing locations with an average Walk Score of 76 out of 100.
• Offering a highly amenitized experience to drive employee culture.

The technology investment is truly a holistic approach to the tenant experience, making the building itself a tool for their customers' business success.

Cousins Properties Incorporated (CUZ) - PESTLE Analysis: Legal factors

Compliance with complex US federal and state regulations for a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT).

As a seasoned financial analyst, I can tell you that for Cousins Properties Incorporated, the primary legal constraint-and its core tax advantage-is maintaining its Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) status. This isn't a passive designation; it demands continuous, rigorous compliance with the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to avoid corporate-level taxation, which would immediately cripple shareholder returns. The complexity lies in managing the portfolio and income streams across multiple states to satisfy the federal tests every year.

The most critical compliance thresholds for CUZ in the 2025 fiscal year remain the same, but the penalty for failure is severe: losing the REIT deduction and facing the flat federal corporate tax rate of 21% on all taxable income.

• Distribution Test: Must distribute at least 90% of its taxable income to shareholders annually.
• Asset Test (Quarterly): At least 75% of total assets must be real estate assets, cash, or government securities.
• Income Tests (Annual): At least 75% of gross income must come from real estate-related sources (like rents); at least 95% must come from real estate sources plus other passive income (like interest or dividends).
• Taxable REIT Subsidiary (TRS) Limit: The value of securities in its Taxable REIT Subsidiaries, which handle non-qualifying activities like third-party property management, cannot exceed 20% of the REIT's total assets.

Here's the quick math: With Cousins Properties' FY 2025 EPS guidance set between $2.82 and $2.86, any compliance misstep that results in corporate taxation would slash the distributable cash flow, making the stock uninvestable for income-focused investors. It's a constant, high-stakes balancing act.

Exposure to varying local zoning, permitting, and building code changes across multiple Sun Belt states.

While the Sun Belt offers a generally favorable business climate, Cousins Properties' decentralized development model exposes it to a patchwork of local regulations. This isn't about the state being difficult; it's about the 7+ major metropolitan areas (Austin, Atlanta, Charlotte, etc.) each having its own city council, zoning board, and permitting office. Local regulatory friction is the single biggest near-term risk to project timelines and budgets.

A recent, concrete example is the shifting landscape in Austin, Texas, a key market for CUZ, where the city is reacting to state-level deregulation. Texas Senate Bill 840 (SB 840), effective September 1, 2025, removed the city's ability to limit the Floor-to-Area Ratio (FAR) for mixed-use residential projects in commercial zones. To maintain control over downtown density, the Austin City Council had to quickly establish a new maximum base height of 350 feet in the Central Business District in October 2025. This kind of rapid, reactive change adds cost and uncertainty to any ongoing development, even for a Class A office specialist.

Also, in North Carolina, new legislation (SB 499, introduced March 2025) aims to streamline the conversion of vacant office space into residential units. This is a direct risk, as it increases the competitive supply of residential units and could accelerate the obsolescence of older Class B/C offices, though Cousins Properties' focus on Class A assets helps mitigate this. The city of Charlotte is already dealing with an office vacancy rate hovering around 25%.

Favorable legal and regulatory arbitrage compared to coastal markets is a key driver of corporate relocations.

The strategic advantage of Cousins Properties' Sun Belt focus is the regulatory arbitrage-the exploitation of favorable legal and tax differences compared to high-cost, high-tax coastal markets. This is the core driver of the corporate migration that fills their buildings, and the numbers are stark.

The most compelling factor is the state corporate tax environment. Companies moving from coastal markets to CUZ's core Sun Belt markets realize immediate, massive tax savings.

Market Type	Key CUZ Market States	2025 State Corporate Income Tax Rate	Key Coastal Comparison States	2025 State Corporate Income Tax Rate
Low-Tax Sun Belt	Texas	0% (Gross Receipts Tax applies)	High-Tax Coastal	California	8.84%
Low-Tax Sun Belt	Florida	0% (No Corporate Income Tax)	High-Tax Coastal	New York (Top Rate)	7.25%
Low-Tax Sun Belt	North Carolina	2.25% (Scheduled for repeal by 2030)	High-Tax Coastal	New Jersey (Top Rate)	11.5%

This tax differential is why Cousins Properties CEO Colin Connolly noted that corporate migration is driven by companies 'moving out of high-tax, high-regulation states into dynamic markets.' The move is not just about a lower tax bill; it's about a more streamlined regulatory process that reduces the time and cost of doing business, which directly translates to demand for CUZ's Class A office space in markets like Dallas, Nashville, and Charlotte.

This is a defintely powerful tailwind for their strategy.

Next Step: Operations team must model the impact of Charlotte's SB 499 on potential office-to-residential conversions within a 1-mile radius of the Charlotte portfolio by the end of Q1 2026.

Cousins Properties Incorporated (CUZ) - PESTLE Analysis: Environmental factors

The environmental factors for Cousins Properties Incorporated (CUZ) are dominated by their proactive, data-driven approach to reducing operational intensity and prioritizing resilient, transit-oriented assets. The immediate takeaway is that Cousins Properties Incorporated has already met its initial 2030 sustainability targets and has now set significantly more aggressive goals for the near-term, which defintely positions them well for future regulatory changes and tenant demand for green buildings.

Company has established and achieved energy, water, and emissions reduction targets.

Cousins Properties Incorporated has consistently demonstrated a commitment to operational efficiency, a critical factor for managing long-term costs in commercial real estate. They achieved their original 2030 goals for energy, water, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction well ahead of schedule, prompting the adoption of new, more aggressive targets in 2024, which will guide performance through the 2025 fiscal year. This focus on intensity reduction-measured per square foot (SF)-is the right metric, as it accounts for portfolio growth.

Here's the quick math on the new goals, all measured from a 2018 base year, which shows a clear escalation in their commitment:

Environmental Key Performance Indicator (KPI)	Original 2030 Target	New, More Aggressive 2030 Target (as of 2025)	Units
Energy Use Intensity Reduction	25% reduction	35% reduction	kWh/SF
GHG Emissions Intensity Reduction (Scope 1 & 2)	25% reduction	50% reduction	kgCO2e/SF
Water Use Intensity Reduction	25% reduction	30% reduction	gallons/SF

The 50% reduction target for GHG emissions is a particularly strong signal to investors and tenants, indicating a strategic effort to decarbonize their operations, largely through efficiency and sourcing cleaner energy.

Strategy prioritizes investments in properties located in walkable areas with proximity to public transit.

The company's core strategy, especially in its high-growth Sun Belt markets like Atlanta, Austin, and Charlotte, centers on acquiring and developing 'lifestyle office buildings' in vibrant, amenity-rich areas. This isn't just a lifestyle choice; it's a critical environmental and social component of their portfolio resilience, reducing the carbon footprint associated with tenant commuting.

This transit-oriented development (TOD) approach translates into concrete amenities that reduce reliance on single-occupancy vehicles:

• On-site bicycle storage is available in 95% of their buildings.
• Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations are installed in 71% of their buildings.
• The strategy helps reduce Scope 3 emissions (indirect emissions from a company's value chain, like employee commuting) by making public transit and non-vehicular travel easier.

Focus on obtaining health and wellness certifications like the Fitwel 3-Star rating for buildings.

Beyond traditional environmental certifications like ENERGY STAR and LEED, Cousins Properties Incorporated is leaning into the human-centric health and wellness certifications, recognizing that tenant demand for healthy workspaces is a major driver of occupancy and rent premiums.

The most notable achievement in this area is the Heights Union building in Tampa, Florida, which was awarded the first Fitwel 3-Star rating in the state of Florida. Fitwel is a building certification system that uses evidence-based design and operational strategies to enhance occupant health, covering areas from increasing physical activity to promoting feelings of well-being. This focus on building health is an excellent hedge against the near-term risk of high office vacancy rates, as it attracts tenants prioritizing employee wellness.

Climate-related financial disclosures (TCFD) are integrated into corporate reporting, increasing transparency.

Cousins Properties Incorporated has integrated the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) into its corporate reporting. This is a crucial step for managing investor relations, as institutional investors increasingly require clear, standardized reporting on climate risk.

Integrating TCFD means the company is formally assessing and disclosing the potential financial impacts of both physical risks (like extreme weather in the Sun Belt) and transition risks (like policy changes or technology shifts) on its assets. For example, the 2024 Corporate Responsibility Report includes TCFD Disclosures on pages 68 through 85, providing a detailed framework on their governance, strategy, risk management, and metrics related to climate change. This level of transparency is a competitive advantage in attracting capital from funds with strict Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) mandates.