Sustainable green development: definitions, strategies and implementation
As a green building consultant, one of the biggest fundamental flaws I hear in the green building debate is that green building costs more and is less profitable. Our goal is to help you design projects that are profitable AND green. Yes, it can be profitable and green at the same time, they are not mutually exclusive.
That said, one question still baffles developers: what exactly is sustainable planning and development? What does sustainable development mean? Why are we concerned about issues like climate change, environmental pollution, and energy shortages? Why is everyone talking about sustainable development? Are sustainable development tips just the latest buzzword? Is it just cool to claim to be green and plant trees and switch to CFLs to prove it?
Al Gore says: “There is a growing feeling that we are reaching the limit of the Earth’s ability to sustain our civilization.” That is the popular opinion and the answer to all these questions is an obvious ‘no’. The earth’s climate is being negatively affected and accelerating economic development undoubtedly leaves little for our future generations. The threat to our environment is real, clear, and almost here. How can we minimize the damage? Leaving a healthier earth for our future generations? The answer lies in sustainable planning and development.
How do we define it? The US Department of Energy defines sustainable development as: “Sustainable development is a strategy by which communities pursue approaches to economic development that also benefit the local environment and quality of life.”
Christine Ervin, Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the Department of Energy, defines sustainable development as: “Sustainable development makes economic progress and environmental quality compatible goals. Communities are finding that sustainable development strategies save money to taxpayers and improve profits for local businesses. and make the community more available.”
When Thomas Jefferson in 1789 made the following statement, he may not have been speaking of sustainable development, as the term is used today, but he had a definite vision of what the future might look like if humanity refused to be wise with the gifts of nature. “Then I say that the earth belongs to each… generation in its due course, fully and in its own right, no generation can incur debts greater than it can pay during the course of its own existence.”
Robert Gilaman, president of the Context Institute, defines sustainability as “Sustainability refers to the ability of a society, ecosystem, or any similar continuous system to continue to function into the indefinite future without being forced into decline by depletion…of key resources. “.
The answer must start at the ‘micro level’, with us using the spoils of nature to progressively urbanise. The solution to the problem must start with how we ‘build’, ‘create’ and ‘reshape’ our towns, cities and homes. Green development initiatives are the first-rate solutions for sustainable development.
Solutions for sustainable development are required and must be pervasive and long-term policies involving governments, societies and individuals. But before we start talking about the benefits of sustainable development, let’s take a closer look at “How do we define sustainable development?”
Definitions are many, but the most widely accepted definition of sustainable development is “Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.” On a lighter, more anonymous note, sustainable development is “Growth without cheating our children.”
The definition of sustainable development can differ between geographies, cultures and countries. However, at the end of the day, it is a process that requires global participation at the individual level. The individual contribution is important because it forms the basis of the ‘Three pillars of sustainable development’: Economic, Environmental and Social.
The ‘social’ pillar of people interacts with the other two – environmental and economic and in that sense promotes the concept of sustainable development.
Since we use the environment for social and economic purposes, it is up to us to decide whether the current balance between ‘environmental’ and ‘economic’ is beneficial to us in the long run. We can continue to use wood to build our houses and destroy all our forests or we can choose healthier alternatives that help grow the economy and keep our planet safe and secure so that our future generations can build their homes. In this sense, the “people” constitute the central point of the whole picture. Therefore, by definition, you and I, the individual homeowner, builder or developer are part of the core principles of sustainable development – people, planet, profit.
So what steps can you take as a homebuilder or homeowner to ensure sustainable real estate development? You can do a lot. Changing a bulb to CFL may not be the complete solution, but it is definitely a first step towards it. As a homeowner, you can search for sustainable development topics online and explore the different options you can take to make your home greener. Informative articles on sustainable development abound on the web, and there’s a lot you can learn about making more environmentally sound decisions for that new home you’re planning to build or that remodeling job you’ve got in mind for your vacation home.
However, a greater responsibility falls on the shoulders of the real estate developer community because if we build it ‘green’ from the ground up, we have a stronger impact. Contrary to popular belief, the role of private sector developers in sustainable real estate development is key and much more profitable. Building ‘green’ makes sense and is profitable. In addition, sustainable real estate development has the go-ahead from the government: “In the not too distant future, all development will be green. Developers, builders and buyers will discover that going green not only improves their pockets, but also their health and the quality of their lives. Developers who understand this first will have an advantage in a massive emerging market…” – William S. Becker, Director, Center of Excellence for Sustainable Development, US Department of Energy
The benefits of sustainable development for a property developer or builder are manifold and make financial sense. Take the case of Wal-Mart, whose environmental initiatives are reaping benefits like significantly reduced energy use and lower water bills. Charles Zimmerman, Wal-Mart’s vice president of prototyping and new format development, says they’ve been able to do this by using “refrigerators that generate 50% less heat and are mercury-free, low-heat lighting sources, bathrooms with low-flow and waterless urinals that cut water bills in half. Other Wal-Mart initiatives like ‘Daylighting’ have paid for themselves in less than 2 years.
If builders and developers incorporate similar systems at the design stage of a project, sustainable residential development can become a reality. Architectural and building design that helps a homeowner reduce their monthly household expenses would, in itself, be a strong enough reason for a green builder’s products to be in demand.
The benefits and increased profitability through sustainable real estate development is catching up and in the blink of an eye it can become the standard. Says Brenna Walraven, president-elect of the National Association of Building Owners and Managers and national director of property management at the San Antonio-based USAA Reality Co.. “Within five years, green building will become the norm, partly due to falling product costs. And the rest of commercial real estate must continue to push harder for green…keeps expenses down.” , it’s good business and, more importantly, it’s the right thing to do.”
Sustainable real estate development has traditionally been clouded by the perception of higher costs for the developer. However, if sustainable building development measures are incorporated at the design stage, these costs can be completely eliminated, if not significantly reduced. For example, the combined use of heat and power generation can reduce the total capital costs of community systems, such as heating. Other costs incurred for measures like low/dual flush toilets and energy efficient appliances are comparable, or similar in many cases, to their most popular standard versions.
Buildings use 35% of the country’s energy each year. There are currently over 76 million residential and 5 million commercial buildings in the US and this total number is expected to increase by another 38 million by 2010. Can you imagine the pressure on energy resources and the consequent increase in costs purchase of energy? for homes right now? The use of sustainable residential development measures such as daylighting and solar water heating would not only reduce this stress on energy resources, but would also allow a developer to offer a client a more cost-effective long-term residential option.
Another way that developers and builders can benefit from sustainable development is by using cheaper, more sustainable, and greener alternatives to construction and building materials. Using building materials with recycled content can reduce construction costs and therefore increase profits. There are direct financial advantages here, and costs, as explained above, can be minimized.
Innovation always pays dividends, and builders and developers using sustainable development alternatives may be the ones who reap the benefits. There has never been a better time to take sustainable development steps and still be able to profit than today. What we sow now, we will reap tomorrow and thus the case for sustainable development for real estate developers and builders.