The Leader - May/June 2008 - (Page 14)

real e stat e ManaGeMent Green Real Estate: What You Really Need to Know BY cHarles lockWooD B uried in the recent avalanche of green real estate articles, meetings, and organizations are a few vital pieces of information that every corporate real estate and workplace executive must know. First and foremost: They have to “green” their leased and owned workplaces, their construction and renovation practices, and their day-to-day operations now. Time is against them. Three powerful forces – competitive advantage, employee and shareholder demand, and regulations – have come together and mandated green. Asked when sustainability would be a critical business issue to corporate real estate, 44 percent of respondents in a joint CoreNet Global and Jones Lang LaSalle international study said that it was already a critical issue, 35 percent said it would be a critical issue within one to two years, and another 11 percent said it would be critical within three years. Given the amount of time that it takes to plan, design, and complete a new building or renovation, corporate real estate (CRE) and workplace executives must address green now. Many are already doing so. In a joint CoreNet Global/Building Design+Construction study, eight out of 10 CoreNet Global CRE respondents had incorporated some level of sustainable design in their recent new construction and renovation projects, and 32 percent of those respondents had done so “extensively.” With the many overhead and work force benefits generated by green buildings, those companies that do not have green leased and owned workplaces now are at a competitive disadvantage. And the gap is widening. If they are going to meet their responsibilities to their companies, CRE and workplace executives must tH e le aDe r understand that green real estate isn’t just important, it must be one of the cornerstones of their decisions, policies, and procedures. So, what else do you really need to know? Green is BiGGer tHan You tHink Energy efficiency and a reduced carbon footprint don’t make a building or a corporate campus green. They are important, yes, very important, but they are only two components of a much larger sustainable whole. Green buildings incorporate design, technology, and construction or renovation practices that significantly lessen their negative impact on the environment through reduced use of natural resources including land, lower energy and water consumption, fewer greenhouse gas emissions, open space preservation, and recycling (rather than dumping) of waste. 14 MaY / j u n e 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of The Leader - May/June 2008

The Leader - May/June 2008 Leadership Contents Message from the CEO Real Estate in the News Green Real Estate Work Without Boundries Building Flexibility Into the Business Strategy Multi-Generational Work-Force Design Work Force Longevity Analysis Wells Fargo's David Nelson Pennsylvania's Michael Rossman Globalization 2.0 Site Selection Consultant Directory The New York Report: A Core of Traditional and State-of-the-Art Opportunities Discovery Forum Findings Industry Tracker Young Leader Career Development Effective Leadership Economic Development in the News A Look Ahead In Our Next Issue Calendar of Seminars Index of Advertisers Executive Development Spotlight

The Leader - May/June 2008

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