CONTACT US
Share: Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn I recommend visiting cushmanwakefield.com to read:%0A%0A {0} %0A%0A {1}

5 Steps to Climate Positive Real Estate

Jess Freeman • 09/12/2022

Cushman & Wakefield, a leading global real estate services firm, today released its 5 steps to climate positive real estate report at the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai. According to an estimate by the United Nations, globally, the built environment is responsible for around 40% of energy use and carbon emissions. In this context, the promotion of the climate positive concept and sustainable development within the real estate sector is undoubtedly a key step which the real estate sector in the Asia Pacific region could take when looking to achieve its carbon emissions goals in the future. 

  Shaun Brodie      CCTV 
 
Shaun Brodie, Head of Content, Greater China Research, Cushman & Wakefield and
Alton Wong, Co-head of Sustainability Services Platform, Greater China,
Cushman & Wakefield, jointly presented the report at CIIE
   
CCTV interviewed Shaun Brodie, Head of Content, 
Greater China Research, Cushman & Wakefield

 

What is climate positive?

Climate positive is an initiative that goes above and beyond. Here, net zero carbon emissions are achieved and surpassed whereby an environmental benefit is produced by eradicating additional carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere.

The basic workings of climate positive

Climate Positive

Source: Cushman & Wakefield Research

 

Transforming your real estate

Buildings can realise climate-positive results in a number of ways, and simply put, the steps to climate positive are the steps to net zero plus that extra mile, whatever takes the building to remove more greenhouse gas (GHG) than it is producing. The building’s strategy should include a mixture of the following steps:

STEP 1:

CHOOSE: the optimal building location, design, energy modelling, eco-friendly materials, renewable energy and intelligent energy management systems

STEP 2:

MAXIMISE: the structural efficiency, insulation and greenhouse gas reduction systems

STEP 3:

MINIMISE: the material and operational wastage and water usage

STEP 4:

MAINTAIN: the hardware and software

STEP 5:

RE-USE: upon current-use obsolescence

 

Proving your asset is climate positive

Disclosure, rating and benchmarking systems that are used to positively prove how sustainable real estate is and how sustainable an enterprise is, (and if any are able to achieve a climate-positive outcome), are many. Two systems that have gained market traction recently, however, are: 

  1. At the enterprise level – The Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).

The TCFD system allows enterprises to recognise and disclose climate-related risks and opportunities so as to enable informed decision making for investors, lenders, insurers and other related participants. The use of the TCFD system aids enterprises as they ascertain and handle physical and transition climate risks.

TCFD – The framework

TCFD

   2. At the real estate level – The Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB).

GRESB assesses the environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance of real assets, which include real estate. In terms of environmental issues, the rating system encourages enterprises to reduce GHG emissions, lessen wastage, and conserve water and energy.

The GRESB benchmark

Source: GRESB, Cushman & Wakefield Research

GRESB

Today, these two systems have gained solid market traction and are widely used by many enterprises to help them achieve their sustainability goals.

Jun Sochi, Chief Operating Officer, Asia Pacific, Cushman & Wakefield, said, "The built environment can reduce its emissions by going net zero, but some of the more innovative real estate players have undertaken the challenge of going climate positive, an initiative that goes above and beyond the traditional net zero. Cushman & Wakefield is committed to helping investors and occupiers implement their sustainability goals.”

Shaun Brodie, Head of Content, Greater China Research, Cushman & Wakefield said, “Cushman & Wakefield aims to reach net zero emissions across its entire value chain by 2050. In the context of global warming, there are still some people, enterprises, and localities that may not have the resources or plans in place to lessen their individual carbon footprint, to go carbon negative or even to strive for a climate positive goal. By understanding the concept of climate positive and learning how to implement some of the related ‘green’ disclosure, rating and benchmarking systems these groups of people and organisations will be best placed to achieve sustainability targets that actually add positive benefit value to the environment now and into the future.”

Alton Wong, Co-head of Sustainability Services Platform, Greater China, Cushman & Wakefield, said, “Since the COP26 meeting in Glasgow in 2021, one significant development has been the formation of a new International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) to develop, in the public interest, an all-embracing global baseline for high-quality disclosure standards to meet the needs of investors. Once used, it will greatly affect the future development of enterprises in the Asia Pacific region.”

Please click here to download the full report

How can we help?

Get in touch with one of our professionals.

Recent Media Releases

22 Norfolk Lane aerial2
Australind poised for retail/commercial development within vibrant community

An opportunity has arisen for developers in Australind, WA, as 22 Norfolk Lane, a substantial 30,295 sqm vacant site, comes up for sale.

Amy Kathleen Kelly • 11/11/2024

Stephen Brammer card image
Cushman & Wakefield appoints Stephen Brammer as net zero carbon engineering lead

Cushman & Wakefield, a leading global real estate services firm, is pleased to announce the appointment of Stephen Brammer as the Net Zero Carbon Engineering Lead.

Amy Kathleen Kelly • 07/11/2024

Alan Herrman_bio.jpg
Blackoak Capital, Cushman & Wakefield launch $100 million fund to address critical disability housing shortage

Blackoak Capital today announced the launch of Lumenate SDA Investment Trust II (“the Fund”), which will deploy $100 million into the construction of new Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) for National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants. 

Jess Freeman • 07/11/2024

With your permission we and our partners would like to use cookies in order to access and record information and process personal data, such as unique identifiers and standard information sent by a device to ensure our website performs as expected, to develop and improve our products, and for advertising and insight purposes.

Alternatively click on More Options and select your preferences before providing or refusing consent. Some processing of your personal data may not require your consent, but you have a right to object to such processing.

You can change your preferences at any time by returning to this site or clicking on Privacy & Cookies.
MORE OPTIONS
AGREE AND CLOSE
These cookies ensure that our website performs as expected,for example website traffic load is balanced across our servers to prevent our website from crashing during particularly high usage.
These cookies allow our website to remember choices you make (such as your user name, language or the region you are in) and provide enhanced features. These cookies do not gather any information about you that could be used for advertising or remember where you have been on the internet.
These cookies allow us to work with our marketing partners to understand which ads or links you have clicked on before arriving on our website or to help us make our advertising more relevant to you.
Agree All
Reject All
SAVE SETTINGS