Sustainability Survey Suggests Green Office Space is Valuable

Fifty percent of corporate real estate executives were willing to pay higher rent for green office space in 2010—up 13% from 2009—according to the fourth annual international Sustainability Survey conducted by CoreNet Global and Jones Lang LaSalle. That number jumps to 73% when you add executives who said they would pay more if the cost were offset by lower energy bills. Nearly 50% would pay up to 10% more for sustainable office space, while only 2% would pay more than 10%. Of those surveyed, 92% consider sustainability criteria when choosing their location; 31% of corporate executives consider employee productivity and health their top sustainability concern. Dan Probst, chairman of energy and sustainability services at Jones Lang LaSalle, commented, “Five years ago, a corporate real estate executive might have thought sustainability was a costly way to make the company look good to employees. Two years ago, that same executive probably focused on energy management as a way to save money in the short run. Today, he or she may be pursuing green strategies that enhance employee productivity.”