Climate Change and Commercial Property Advice
From Sandbags to Solar Panels – Jones Lang LaSalle 2010 research for Strategic Sustainability Planning
Jones Lang LaSalle launches its 2010 sustainability research report – From Sandbags to Solar Panels – reinforcing the opinion that climate change is a key issue for the commercial property industry and that its influence will be increasingly felt across all aspects of the market.
To minimise the risk of irreversible damage to property and local communities, an approach which combines both climate change mitigation and adaptation is required.
The UK Government has expressed its disappointment at the outcomes of the 2009 UN climate change conference in Copenhagen, stressing the need for a legally binding treaty in 2010. To date in the UK we have witnessed the introduction of Energy Performance Certificates / EPCs, the increased use of sustainability benchmarking tools, and in 2010 we will see the introduction of the Carbon Reduction Commitment / CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme. Looking ahead, we expect sustainability regulation and policy to tighten, with clear implications for the UK property sector.
Key considerations of climate change for the property sector are summarised by clicking below:
Property Strategies - Managing Climate Change Regulation (read)
|
- Develop a full understanding of climate change policies and regulation, for example Energy Performance Certificates / EPCs, BREEAM, and the Carbon Reduction Commitment / CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme
- Conduct a detailed sustainability benchmarking exercise of property portfolios and investigate real energy performance through an energy audit with a view to improving this over time
- Investors and occupiers should be working together to develop sustainable strategies for commercial property in order to optimise performance and share the responsibility for improvements
|
Adapting Commercial Property for Future Climate Change Today (read)
|
- Understand and define the current and future climate change risks to property portfolios. In the UK and across Europe the main concern at an asset level is weather related vulnerabilities (i.e. flooding, overheating, subsidence and wind / storm damage)
- Ensure that at the design stage strategic sustainability measures are incorporated to manage relevant climate change risks, such as appropriate drainage or natural ventilation and shading.
- Ensure that developers and contractors are taking account of the relevant climate change risks during project delivery and that insurance risks have been appropriately allocated.
|
As outlined in the report climate change and the surrounding regulations and risks have important implications for investors, developers and occupiers throughout the property life cycle.
Visit our other Sustainability Services pages