Why You Should Attend
‘Green’ and ‘sustainable’ are considerations for most occupiers, even in recession, and are major motivations for blue chip businesses wanting to reinforce their environmental  credentials.  Another motivation is the suspicion that politicians will use ‘green issues’ for tax raising purposes.  Whatever the motivations, they do exist, and as a result, property advisors and managers, agents, solicitors – whether acting for landlords or tenants – must be familiar with this fast moving debate and demands.

With so much empty property, tenants have a huge choice in where they choose to occupy, whether it be new build (current green standards), near new (buildings becoming less green as technology and best practise moves on), or buildings that are not green.  Superimposed on this are how occupiers use the building, lease obligations, building and service charge contracts, along with any additional agreements such as memoranda of understanding for green matters. 

Emotionally, most of us want to be green, but what is ‘being green and how do we become green’ in property occupational terms?  What are the consequences and benefits of doing so?

Who Should Attend?
Commercial property managers, occupation and facilities managers, landlords, property agents, managing agents and property lawyers.

Programme:
Setting the scene in Commercial Property Management

• What’s the definition of Green and Sustainable?
• What is a green lease?
• Misconceptions associated with Green leases
• Can buildings become green?
• What does the market want?
• What impact has the recession had on the green and sustainability agenda?

Measuring and Quantifying sustainability

• Who contributes and by how much to the environmental impacts of buildings? (landlord/tenant split)
• Measuring and monitoring these impacts? – energy efficiency compared to carbon efficiency
• The rise of carbon trading – how this might impact the property sector
• EPCs (Energy Performance Certificates) and DECs (Display Energy Certificates)
• How quickly will green buildings of today become ‘ungreen’  tomorrow?
• Will older buildings suffer greater obsolescence and devaluation because they can’t be green?

Emerging Demands from Legislators

• The Effect of a Price on Carbon
• The Carbon Reduction Commitment
• Implications on Landlords and Tenants
• Driving Change
• The Climate Change Levy
• How does it vary from the CRC?
• Regulation and best practice guidance? 

What should Managing Agents be doing now?
What should occupiers be demanding of their agents?

• What do you need to do now?
• Collect accurate energy data
• Install control and usage meters
• Check and monitor your energy bills; and how to reduce your bill by 10%
• Carbon trading
• What is it and who does it affect?
• The importance and unfairness of industry league tables
• Where do you buy your credits?  Where and how to get good deals
• How to make savings and prevent costs spiralling

Managing Occupiers Waste

• Waste management is more than emptying the bins and the council emptying the bins
• Office waste solutions
• Computers, fridges, and commercial waste
• Economies of scales and recycling waste

The consequences of not being green

• What does the market want?  How is this reconciled with what the legislators and their Regulation?
• What are the consequences of signing a ungreen lease for a  ungreen building?
• Should tenants be punished for occupying a ungreen building?
• Should landlords be punished for offering to market such a building?
• Can service charges reflect specific tenants “green”  performance?
• Are EPCs chargeable to the service charge?
• Options by Government and regulators
• Surcharge on business rates
• Penal charges in leases
• Government initiatives

Question & Answer Session