GREEN BUILDINGS AND GREENER LEASES

The Environmental Background

All buildings, including residential, commercial and industrial buildings have a significant impact on our environment. For example, buildings:

• consume vast amounts of our natural resources;

• responsible for 1/3 of Canada’s energy consumption;

• emit 1/3 of Canada’s greenhouse gases;

• contribute ¼ of Canada’s solid waste/land fill

Increased public awareness and genuine overall concern for Planet Earth’s continued wellbeing, and some would even argue its existence, in connection with the ever increasing levels of carbon co2 emissions (more frequently being referred to as and commonly called “greenhouse gases” which have been confirmed and reconfirmed scientifically on an almost daily basis as being the primary driving force causing erratic climate fluctuations and changes) has led to a recent surge in popularity as well as increasing acceptance of many of the ideas and goals espoused by the green building and environmentally sustainability movement.

Surveys carried out by leading industry associations, including BOMA Canada, have all confirmed that the Canadian commercial real estate industry by and large have bought into the green building movement. Embracing “green” as a key component of developing, building, renovating, managing, leasing and operating commercial buildings, can greatly reduce a significant portion of the harmful environmental impacts referred to above.