World Environment Day, June 5, 2021, marks the official launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, a global push to revive natural green spaces lost to development. While this 10-year call to action aspires to ensure the health and diversity of several types of ecosystems—from farmland to forests, freshwaters to oceans and more—urban areas represent the category that hits close to home for the commercial real estate (CRE) industry.
Developers, owners, occupants, planners, builders, materials suppliers, services companies, capital providers—how will we respond? How will we lead? How can we make sure the very heart of our industry remains vibrant and supports a sustainable environmental future?
Key takeaways:
- Cities are a critical feature of a successful economic and social approach to how and where we live our lives.
- Sustainable Cities play a role in the health of our environment.
- There is a strong relationship between the amount of public green space in a city and an individual’s levels of happiness.
- By adopting and enhancing more green space, cities can make a long-term positive impact on climate goals.
- Resourcefulness and responsiveness will be key to deliver bio- and social diversity – this is a time to think and act differently.
- Being both resilient and resourceful is critical. Cities must be adaptable to respond to the changes in society and the behavior change experienced most viscerally during the pandemic.
- The driving forces behind the societal change we need to affect will be clear leadership, commitment of business and the passion and belief of individuals.
Explore more insights on why Sustainability matters in real estate.
