The Economist: 'Greening real estate: quite a task'.
The real estate sector has a huge CO2 footprint. This week, the authoritative Economist writes how to reduce it: Some buildings need to be adapted, others demolished. In response to the Economist report, Nicole Maarsen, chair of ULI Netherlands, said in a linkedin post this weekend: 'The Economist is always a good indicator for when a 'new' agenda reaches the level of general awareness in political & business circles! Here we go - finally!'
The Economist describes that buildings harbour a dirty secret: they are among the worst climate offenders on the planet. Heating, cooling and operating existing offices, homes and industrial properties accounts for 27% of global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions. Constructing new buildings requires mountains of steel and colossal amounts of cement, and when combined with demolition, it accounts for another 10% of global CO2 emissions each year. Building rubble accounts for one third of the European Union's annual waste by weight.
