The Leader - January/February 2009 - (Page 32)

G Lo bAL T R E n d S i n S uS TA in A b LE R EA L ESTA TE: CoR po RATE p E RS p E CTi v E S a 4 or 5 ranking to each of the following:  Difficulty in establishing the return on investment (29 percent);  Insufficient industry metrics (27 percent);  Unclear or inconsistent regulation (21 percent);  Different priorities in different geographies (29 percent) and;  Difficult building certification processes (24 percent) The good news is that in each of the above cases, the percentage that rated these barriers low (a 1 or 2 rating) was greater than the percentage that rated them high. This suggests there is still a great deal of optimism that no single barrier to sustainability is insurmountable. CRE’s Role in Sustainability Corporate real estate executives are now largely viewed as an essential part of the corporate sustainability platform. CRE executives are increasingly becoming more involved in such critical issues as:  Assisting in employee communications/ feedback (59 percent are fairly or highly involved)  Funding sustainability oriented investments (57 percent)  Adding sustainability focused staff/executives (49 percent)  Rating supplier sustainability (44 percent)  Shaping public policy (41 percent) In turn, many CRE directors are finding their relationships with their colleagues are improving, with 53 percent citing enhanced interaction with senior management, as a result of their companies’ sustainability efforts. Thus, sustainability is becoming another way the CRE function is showing it can provide strategic value to the entire enterprise, and can play a significant, even central, role in initiatives that reach beyond real estate. The notion that CRE executives can add value by collaborating with other groups within their organization will be very familiar to any executive who has spear- headed a workplace strategy initiative. Like sustainability, workplace design can have a wide-ranging effect on a company’s culture and reputation. The two strategies also include several areas of overlap, which the 2008 survey addressed. Several features of workplace strategy, including mobility, space design and telecommuting, are viewed by a substantial number of survey respondents as connecting to sustainability goals. More than half of respondents, 54 percent, have seen a reduction in energy costs resulting from the reduced space needs of their workplace strategy initiatives. Another 47 percent have witnessed a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from automobile commuting, and 36 percent noted that opportunities for daylighting and views serve their sustainability as well as workplace strategy goals. Although the term ‘workplace strategy’ can mean different things to different respondents, it is significant that only 10 percent said their companies have not explored workplace strategy in any form. About this Report This briefing report and the survey, conducted jointly by Jones Lang LaSalle and CoreNet Global in September and October 2008, aims to gauge corporate awareness, to understand the key issues driving sustainability in real estate and to investigate some of the perceptions shaping corporate action. More than 400 respondents participated in the 2008 Global Trends in Sustainable Real Estate, with responses from every region covered by CoreNet Global: Asia/Pacific, Australia/New Zealand, Europe, the Middle East/Africa, North America and South America. While a large majority of the respondents are based in the United States (around three quarters) many are implicated in corporate real estate decisions worldwide. Of the organizations surveyed, 78 percent have more than 1,000 employees, and 69 percent identify their organization’s scope as global. Respondents represented a wide range of business sectors, with the highest percentage from the financial services (24 percent) and technology (14 percent) sectors. Sections of this article refer to a previous survey conducted by CoreNet Global and Jones Lang LaSalle over the course of several months during 2007, which resulted in a similar sample in terms of number and type of participants. A Look to the Future The CoreNet Global-Jones Lang LaSalle sustainability survey results suggest several positive trends for global sustainability in commercial buildings. Clearly, sustainability is continuing to grow as an issue of concern for companies, and for the real estate professionals who administer corporate portfolios. CRE executives are increasingly savvy at pursuing strategies that will help their companies meet sustainability goals without creating an unrealistic expense burden. The financial downturn that has touched most countries worldwide has not dispelled the corporate commitment to sustainability. Other barriers are not ignored, but neither are they seen as insurmountable. And – consistent with the major contribution that buildings traditionally have made to energy and water use and landfill waste – the CRE function is taking on its rightful role as an integral player on the corporate sustainability team. For more information on this topic, go to CoreNet Global’s Knowledge Center Online. Implementing Sustainability in a Global Corporation www2.corenetglobal.org/dotCMS/ kcoAsset?assetInode=4496239 What's Next? The Future of Sustainable, Hi-Performance Workplaces www2.corenetglobal.org/dotCMS/ kcoAsset?assetInode=4250677 2 0 0 9 Th E LE AdE R 32 JAnuARy / FEbRuARy http://www2.corenetglobal.org/dotCMS/kcoAsset?assetInode=4496239 http://www2.corenetglobal.org/dotCMS/kcoAsset?assetInode=4250677

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of The Leader - January/February 2009

The Leader - January/February 2009 Contents Leadership Message from the CEO Real Estate in the News Mergers and Aquisitions Assessing Green Building Performance Measuring Space You Actually Use Global Trends in Sustainable Real Estate Whirlpool’s Lee Utke Northmarq’s Kevin Farrell Plastics: Hoping for Resiliency in Resins Regional Profile: Heartland Holding Strong Industry Profile: Ascendas Brings New Age Business Space to Asia-Pac Industry Tracker From the Applied Research Center Discovery Forum Findings Capital Corner Career Development Young Leader Economic Development in the News Learning Spotlight Connect With CoreNet Global Index of Advertisers A Look Ahead In our Next Issue Calendar of Seminars

The Leader - January/February 2009

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