A 2008 survey conducted by BOMA (Building Owners and Managers Association International) and other organizations seems to confirm that the interest in green building remains widespread.
Even in the face of economic difficulties, “commercial building owners are continuing to allocate funds and resources to ‘green’ their portfolios,” according to a news release summarizing the study.
Survey responses were received by more than 250 building owners, managers and commercial real estate investors. Among the findings:
· Nearly 88 percent of respondents incorporate recycling programs within their properties
· Slightly less than three-quarters (72 percent) have educational programs for employees to help them “implement and maintain green measures and programs”
· Almost two-thirds (65.4 percent) of respondents say they have received positive return on investment (ROI) when undertaking green building efforts.
The survey results also seemed to show that tenant demand for green building or LEED requirements is still relatively weak and has room to grow:
· Nearly 80 percent of respondents (78.7) say that fewer than one-quarter of their tenants have come to them with green space requirements.
· More than 85 percent (85.2) of respondents say that fewer than one-quarter of tenants have signed leases because a given building was considered green.
· Currently, almost 93 percent of respondents say that less than one-quarter of the properties in their portfolios have obtained LEED certification.
Mark Heisterkamp of the USGBC, which was a co-sponsor of the study, says the results are not surprising and largely encouraging—even the fact that only a small number of tenants and properties have made green building a priority. “You may see 1,000 booths and 30,000 people here, but [green building] is still fundamentally new from the operations viewpoint,” he commented.
Heisterkamp was also encouraged by the positive ROI experienced by building owners. It demonstrates more than just anecdotally that LEED “will be a strategy and a competitive advantage” in the market, he remarked.
The Greenbuild International Conference and Expo took place Nov. 18-21 in Boston. Some 30,000 attendees and more than 800 exhibitors took part in the 2008 version of the event.