Inside the Sustainable Real Estate Movement That Could Help Save the World

Net Zero is a movement promising to eliminate CO² emissions from real estate

Peter Templeton, president and CEO in US Green Building Council (USGBC) and Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI)

By: SiiLA News

05/01/2024

According to monitoring by the NGO Climate Watch, in 2022, humanity emitted 49,400 MtCO²e. Data from PIK, made available by Climate Watch Data, also shows that the sector emitting the most carbon into the atmosphere is Energy, with 36.30 GtCO²e. Faced with these numbers, which tend to increase every year, alternatives are being devised and analyzed.

The term "Net Zero" comes from "Net Zero Carbon Emissions," which means "zero net carbon emissions" in a loose translation. The name already suggests the goal of this movement: to halt the accelerated process of global warming.

Within the real estate market, Net Zero is already perceived across all sectors, whether corporate, logistic, or residential. One way to certify negative carbon emissions is through certifications, such as those granted by the US Green Building Council (USGBC).

Led by Peter Templeton, President and CEO of USGBC and Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), the company informed REsource that in Brazil there are 2,382 commercial developments with LEED certifications, 10 certified communities, 11 neighborhoods, and two residential assets.

By February 2023, the USGBC had certified over 205,000 developments worldwide. The certification, called LEED, comes in various levels and variations. The highest is LEED Platinum, but there's also LEED Building Design and Construction, LEED Carbon Zero, and others, all focused on sustainability.

The Carbon Zero certification recognizes that the development does not emit CO² in its operation, which includes energy and water consumption, maintenance, and cleaning.

In Brazil

One company with this certification in Brazil is the Canadian Brookfield Properties. In 2023 alone, six buildings in São Paulo received the zero-carbon certification. All are Class A+ and have low vacancy rates.

According to Hilton Rejman, executive vice president of Brookfield Properties, the certification goes beyond decarbonization; it is "recognition of our efforts to fully zero carbon emissions within a year, mainly from activities related to energy consumption and transportation means of users who use the developments. It's the first time standard A+ corporate buildings have achieved the seal in Brazil."

The developments referred to by the vice president are Faria Lima Square; Faria Lima Financial Center; Miss Silvia Morizono; JK 1455; Eldorado Business Tower and; Torre Sigma in 17007 Nações.

Rejman explains that achieving each seal depends on the situation, such as owners and developers; all company developments must have at least one sustainable certification.

"During operation, an inventory of all associated emissions is conducted, from emissions from fertilizer use in gardens to emissions from air conditioning system operation, for example. After all these surveys, we conduct studies to find the best solutions to reduce the impact on all processes. It's a big job, with various stages and complexities, but starting from a certification is a good start on the path to Net Zero," he says.

Challenges of Net Zero

In 2023, Brookfield's developments were the first Class A+ commercial assets to achieve LEED Carbon Zero certification in Brazil. These developments are part of the company's strategy to have a 100% clean operation by 2050.

The executive vice president explains that the strategy is being implemented in all countries where the company operates and will involve not only Brookfield's operations themselves but also all its suppliers.

"The goal refers to all scopes of the GHG Protocol methodology, and when we talk about scopes 1 and 2, it's more tangible because these are decisions under the company's management. However, when we talk about scope 3, we need to engage and encourage various suppliers who also need to contribute to the climate change agenda," reveals Rejman.

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