In Focus: The Future of Sustainability in Real Estate
November 4, 2021
With heightened pressure for businesses to adopt sustainable business practices, the commercial real estate industry has a viable role to play in the fight against climate change. In fact, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the built world accounts for more than 40 percent of the planet’s carbon emissions, which means that the real estate industry can play a major role in the solution.
Climate change is also becoming a financial risk for companies. With the misconception that sustainability equipped buildings are extremely costly, there are many considerable no- to low-cost options available for decarbonization, according to JLL’s latest global research report, Decarbonizing the Built Environment. The report states that 43 percent of investors have a net zero carbon race-to-zero goal, and 38 percent of investors say they have published or measured environmental goals, like having wind- or solar-powered capabilities. However, to make a reasonable difference on our environment, these numbers need to continue to grow. The first step is education and understanding exactly how industry leaders can put this into action.