The increase in global demand for “Green” Office Buildings occurred after Donald Trump’s attack on environmental protection professionals in the US, according to a survey of environmental industry professionals.
Building owners and investors in North America and South America have expressed very low growth in the need for a change in policy members of chartered surveys (RICS). Reported global demand also fell, just not as well.
Buildings and commercial buildings together account for 34% of Global Carbon emissions in 2023, according to UN environment program. The majority of emissions come from heating, cooling buildings, although around a fifth comes from construction.
the The UN said A “critical need for quick action in the buildings sector to meet global climate goals”. However, the RICS survey suggests the World’s construction professionals are experiencing slow growth in demand.
Green buildings can use a variety of methods to cut their impact on the environment, from using materials with limited water, to cut water use, to use water heat, and using renewable energy. Efficiency improvements in particular will also help cut operating costs.
Nicholas Maclean, Achiong President of Rics, said: “It seems to me that what we are seeing at the moment is going to be a blip.
“The people who end up using these buildings want them to be sustainable. Everyone, frankly, knows it’s the right thing to do.”
He added that Green Office Gournings tend to have a “competitive advantage” in attracting higher advances, due to demand from large corporate firms, in particular.
More US respondents to the survey reported growing interest in sustainable commercial buildings. However, the balance of construction professionals ahead of consistently reporting higher demand fell, from 25% to 11%.
After the newsletter promotion
Outside of North America, the balance report reports an increase of 40%, from 48% in 2021, the first year of the survey, but above the US.
Kisa Zehra, RICS’ sustainability analyst, said government policy and regulation had a “huge impact on market confidence”. The Trump administration is making a concerted effort to dismantle a vast array of environmental protections that have been put in place. The previous Republican and Democratic primariesprevents reliance on green standards.
rics also highlighted the decline of professionals in the construction industry who measure their projects ‘included in the production of materials such as steel, glass, or concrete process. Forty-six percent of construction professionals reported not measuring carbon dioxide, up from 34% the year before. Only 16% of respondents said that measuring carbon meaningfully informed material choices in project design.