Sustainable Practices

CRE fosters all-in approach to decarbonization

CRE fosters all-in approach to decarbonization

Daunting net zero targets in the buildings sector are spurring an all-in approach to decarbonization that assigns roles to finance, engineering, management and operational teams.
Outdoor lighting principles hail the dark side

Outdoor lighting principles hail the dark side

Guiding principles for responsible nighttime lighting define how light should be applied, but, first, prospective installers are advised to consider whether lighting is even necessary.
Climate action levers key amid competing crises

Climate action levers key amid competing crises

Strategists are pondering the most effective climate action levers to keep attention focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions as other events and pressures commandeer priority-setting agendas.
Net zero spoilers embedded in behaviour traits

Net zero spoilers embedded in behaviour traits

Professor Robert Gifford, a behavioural psychologist affiliated with University of Victoria’s School of Environmental Studies, tallies dozens of traits that could be undermining climate progress.
BOMA Canada launches net-zero learning pursuit

BOMA Canada launches net-zero learning pursuit

The first step in BOMA Canada's efforts to achieve net-zero operations, develop replicable guidance from the experience and promote best practices for carbon offsets begins with BOMEX 2023.
Receptive climate for risk management brewing

Receptive climate for risk management brewing

New guidance for CRE investors and owners/managers highlights climate-related risks, recommended safeguard measures and key questions for gauging the preparedness of assets.
ESG metrics inform range of CRE stakeholders

Range of CRE stakeholders demand ESG metrics

Canada’s leading commercial real estate players are increasingly turning to ESG metrics to track responsiveness to a range of emerging risks and business imperatives.
Sustainable finance products clear path to 2050

Sustainable finance products forge way to 2050

Sustainable finance products, are expected to increasingly come into play as building owners/managers pursue decarbonization and look to bolster the climate resiliency of their properties.
Canadian buildings scrutinized in OECD review

Canadian buildings scrutinized in OECD review

As part of a biennial review and benchmarking of Canada’s economic performance, a new OECD report looks at progress toward the interim 2030 target and 2050 goal for net-zero carbon emissions.
Market transformation beckons greenwashing

Market transformation beckons greenwashing

Greenwashing is tapping into a demonstrated consumer preference for products and services with low-carbon credentials and growing interest in ESG accountability.
CRE mostly on its own to meet 2030 commitments

CRE strategizes to meet 2030 commitments

Among its many challenges, the race to meet 2030 commitments for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction could have some public relations complications.
Human rights due diligence aligns with ESG

Human rights due diligence aligns with ESG

New guidance urges commercial real estate operators to consider how contracting, purchasing and leasing can intersect with abuse, exploitation and discrimination.
CRE loan books undergo U.S. Fed stress test

Operational resilience a performance priority

New technical guidance for assessing and responding to building-level risk underscores that operations teams carry responsibility to safeguard occupants, facilitate business continuity and protect asset value.
environmentally friendly offices

Employees expect environmentally friendly offices

Six in 10 workers surveyed feel their office is "shamefully eco-unfriendly"
Business case assumptions evolve alongside ESG

Business case assumptions evolve alongside ESG

Investors and lenders are expected to increasingly focus on the physical and transitional risks of climate change, in turn upending some conventional views of costs and value.
REALPAC releases updated model green lease

Updated model green lease attuned to the 2020s

REALPAC’s newly updated model green lease for Canadian office buildings introduces measures aligned with the broadening demand for ESG reporting and performance outcomes.
Climate change and ESG pervade CRE projections

Climate change and ESG pervade CRE projections

Climate change is more ominous than the spectre of regulations and taxes for a small majority of commercial real estate leaders responding to REALPAC’s recent survey of their expectations for the next decade.