Introducing Timo Marquez, director of learning and innovation at Green Soluce, a sustainability consulting office based in Paris with services on real estate consulting, training, communication and media, and green finance.
In this episode, Marquez talks with us about the environmental impact of real estate and urban areas.
What is the environmental impact of the real estate industry?
There are two main things we need to look at when we talk about the environmental impact of the real estate industry:
First, the environmental impact of urbanised areas. Living in urbanised areas creates high amounts of water waste, food waste, air pollution, etc., which means urbanised areas can have a big environmental impact.
Second, we need to look at the construction sector. This sector can have a high environmental impact depending on how we construct, how we’re using a building, etc.
How can we reduce the environmental impact of the real estate industry?
In order to reduce the environmental impact of urbanised areas, we need to look at the flow of processes and materials. In big cities, for example, one of the big issues is transportation and mobility. A good consciousness and awareness of these flows can help reduce the impact of these activities.
In order to reduce the environmental impact of buildings, we can put in place certifications. These certifications can be helpful to make sure that the buildings being constructed take into account the environment. It is also useful to reduce greenwashing as it promotes transparency.
Can technology be helpful to reduce the environmental impact of buildings?
Technology can help us reduce the environmental impact of buildings. For example, it can help with water treatment, and other processes. However, we will also need to reduce our consumption levels. Technology on its own will not be enough.
What is pushing the real estate industry to take into consideration the environment?
There are two main incentives: regulations and market demand. A growing number of regulations have been put in place to encourage companies to take into consideration the environment. At the same time, consumers are asking for more environmentally-friendly buildings. This is also pushing investors to invest in buildings that do not pollute the environment.
Listen to the full episode to learn more about the impact of real estate on the environment, its complexities, and opportunities.
