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New York City — Sept. 29, 2015 — Over the past year, global real estate firms have reduced energy consumption in buildings by the equivalent of almost 280,000 barrels of oil and cut carbon emissions by the equivalent of removing 25,000 cars from the road, according to a new report, Greenprint Performance Report: Volume 6, released by the ULI Greenprint Center for Building Performance.
The annual report, which measures the performance of properties owned or managed by Greenprint members, shows that some of the world’s leading real estate firms are on track to reach Greenprint’s overall goal of reducing building emissions and energy consumption by 50 percent by 2030.
In its sixth year, ULI’s Greenprint Center released the report last week at a panel event at which real estate industry and public sector leaders discussed the future of sustainable real estate in New York City and around the world. The report is based on the performance of over 5,000 office, retail, commercial, hotel, and multifamily properties spanning over 51 countries.
“Increasing access to education and implementation for environmentally sound real estate practices is critical to the future success of the real estate industry,” said Charles B. Leitner, chairman, ULI Greenprint Center for Building Performance, CEO, Berkshire Group. “ULI Greenprint’s annual performance report not only tracks the real estate industry’s efforts to reduce all emissions by 50 percent by 2030, but it raises awareness of ways we can improve the sustainability of our industry.”
“With the help of programs and data provided by Greenprint, Hines has successfully built and managed 416 green certified buildings and employs almost 90 Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) accredited professionals, contributing to overall reductions in energy consumption and carbon emissions,” said Kenneth Hubbard, senior managing director, Hines. “Not only is this commitment to sustainability better for the future of the planet, but implementing more environmental heating, cooling, and water systems drastically reduces our annual operating costs.”
“Nearly three-quarters of New York’s greenhouse gas emissions come from buildings, so we enthusiastically support Greenprint and its members for this continued commitment to promote and utilize emission-reducing methods,” said Melissa Wright, director, City Energy Project, and senior advisor, Urban Solutions, Natural Resources Defense Council.
As the largest global collection of transparent, verifiable, and comprehensive data about the environmental performance of buildings, Greenprint sets the standard for a common system to measure and benchmark energy consumption, emissions, water use, and waste across the global real estate industry. The Performance Report provides an annual overview of these consumption levels and comparisons from years past, allowing members to better manage their portfolios and demonstrate environmental progress.
Between 2013-2014, ULI Greenprint members have successfully reduced overall energy use and emissions:
• 3.3 percent reduction in energy consumption
• 2.7 percent reduction in carbon emissions
• 2.0 percent reduction in electricity
• 1.9 percent reduction in water use
These reductions are equivalent to:
• 277,856 barrels of oil not consumed
• 25,153 cars taken off the road
• 10,901 homes not consuming energy
• 3,063,538 trees planted
• 58,211 metric tons of coal not burned
The report can be downloaded here.
