Despite Economy, Study Reveals Greening of Building Portfolios Remains a Priority for Commercial Real Estate Industry

2008-11-19 18:10:01 -

www.incisivemedia.com - Despite a faltering economy, commercial building owners are continuing to allocate funds and resources to green their portfolios. According to the " 2008 Green Survey: Existing Buildings, " the second annual national survey of the commercial real estate sector, more than 80 percent of respondents have allocated funds to green initiatives this year. In addition, 45 percent said that their sustainability investment will increase in 2009. Findings of the study, sponsored jointly by Incisive Media " s Real Estate Forum and GlobeSt.com, the Building Owners and Managers Association International (BOMA) and the U.S, Green Building Council (USGBC), will be released today at Greenbuild 2008, the annual conference and expo sponsored by the USGBC. Complete survey results appear in the November issue of Real Estate Forum magazine, online at GlobeSt.com (cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT"id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww ..) and in the January/February 2009 issue of The BOMA Magazine.
Other findings included the following:
-- Energy conservation is the most widely implemented green program in respondent properties, followed by recycling, water conservation and ENERGY STAR product programs.
-- 60 percent of those polled offer educational programs to assist tenants in implementing green programs, up from 49.4 percent last year.
-- Almost 70 percent of survey participants have implemented some type of benchmarking system to monitor energy usage and efficiency, while 80 percent say that their efficiency efforts have helped defray rising energy costs.
-- Almost 65 percent of respondents feel that their green investments have generated a positive ROI, up from 60.8 percent in 2007.
The survey focused on the application of green methodologies and technologies in existing commercial buildings, and on the financial and marketing benefits of these efforts. It was distributed to Incisive Media's national database of ownership, investment and operational entities, as well as to BOMA " s members.
To obtain a copy of the complete survey and results, visit cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT"id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww ... For additional information on Incisive Media " s green products and marketing programs, contact Josh Simon at (212) 929-7044 or mailto:josh.simon@incisivemedia.com.
Incisive Media publishes Real Estate Forum; cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT"id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww .., the industry's leading daily news Web site; and the regional magazines Real Estate Florida, Real Estate New Jersey, Real Estate New York and Real Estate Southern California. Its targeted e-newsletters focus on the tenant-in-common and net lease sectors. Incisive also produces the RealShare conferences, a series of regional and national events targeted to commercial real estate professionals.
About BOMA International
Founded in 1907, the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International is an international federation of more than 100 local associations and affiliated organizations. The 17,000-plus members of BOMA International own or manage more than 9 billion square feet of commercial properties in North America and abroad. BOMA " s mission is to enhance the human, intellectual and physical assets of the commercial real estate industry through advocacy, education, research, standards and information. On the Web at cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT"id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww ...
About USGBC
The U.S. Green Building Council is a nonprofit membership organization whose vision is a sustainable built environment within a generation. Its membership includes corporations, builders, universities, government agencies, and other nonprofit organizations. Since USGBC " s founding in 1993, the Council has grown to more than 17,500 member companies and organizations, a comprehensive family of LEED ® green building certification systems, an expansive educational offering, the industry " s popular Greenbuild International Conference and Expo (cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT"id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww ..), and a network of 79 local chapters, affiliates, and organizing groups. For more information, visit cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT"id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww ...
About Incisive Media
Incisive Media is a leading global provider of specialized business news and information, in print, in person and online. The company's principal markets include financial services, legal services, commercial real estate, marketing services and risk management. Incisive Media's market-leading brands include Accountancy Age, Computing, Investment Week, Legal Week, LegalTech, Post, Real Estate Forum, Risk, Search Engine Strategies and The American Lawyer. For more information, visit cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww ...
The American Lawyer and Real Estate Forum are registered trademarks of ALM Properties, Inc.

Peters & Feldman for Incisive Media

Lee Feldman, 203-341-8922

mailto:lee.feldman@incisivemedia.com