Mailing Systems Technology - September/October 2008 - (Page 36) Management Green DESIGN How do we implement sustainable practices that will allow for a return on investment? By Vera Angelico onfirmations from reliable sources such as the United Nations report that global warming is due to human activity and not to the natural cyclical process as it has occurred in the past, bringing forth the urgency to move into action. During the G-8 Nations Conference in July 2008, all of the countries involved agreed upon cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. During the conference, Regine Günther, Director of the WWF Climate Change Programme in Germany, said, “Time is running out. We have 10 to 15 years left in which the global emissions have to peak and decline. The world is at a crossroads where decisive action now could translate into economic success.” In this country alone, our buildings are responsible for 48% of the energy consumption. There is an ongoing preoccupation with the issue of sustainability combined with a sense of complacency. How do we move into action and out of resignation or cynicism? This concern is shared by many, and the question posed is how to do something without having to spend much more for a green alternative. How do we implement sustainable practices that will allow for a return on investment (ROI) and use it as an opportunity for business as affirmed by Ms. Günther? The Journal of Property Management stated in an article from March/April 2004 that the ROI of C “investments in green buildings pay for themselves 10 times over.” The study was performed on 100 green buildings, and it was found that the financial benefits of green design are between $50 and $70 per square foot in a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building, more than 10 times the additional cost associated with building green. In some states, utility companies provide rebate money to offset initial investment costs, making it easier to implement green alternatives. Turner Construction Company announced a few years ago the findings of its survey of 719 building owners, developers, architects, engineers and consultants on green building issues. The significance of the research was that when asked to compare a list of benefits generated by green buildings with those generated by non-green buildings, a significant percentage of executives said that green buildings outperform non-green buildings in the following categories: • Greater health and well-being of occupants (86%) • Higher building value (79%) • Higher worker productivity (76%) • Higher return on investment (63%) • Higher asking rents (62%) • Higher occupancy rates (52%) • Higher retail sales (40%) 36 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2008 | WWW.MAILINGSYSTEMSTECHNOLOGY.COM http://www.MailingSystemsTechnology.com
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.