I’ve just read a great paper written by Philip Ross an internationally renowned consultant who is an expert in technology’s impact on the work place.

What’s great about his point of view is that it is both visionary and practical.

I love that; when new ideas have a very immediate practical application. And particularly in the case of business, improve results.

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I’ve often talked about the trends towards sustainability and green buildings and how this is something that is with us to stay.

Work environments that are both green and user friendly are definitely in demand with employees, and also with organisations wanting to walk the talk around their commitment to the planet and people. Being green is (more…)

The phrase “green shoots” has really taken hold as optimism about an economic recovery increases. It’s a great turn of phrase that has captured the imagination and there are definitely signs of recovery in some quarters. But I believe we still a need a few seasons before (more…)

Just on a year ago, I posted a blog about the advent of green leases, in line with the increasing trends towards Green Star rated buildings.

I was predicting that New Zealand would follow Australia and see more and more green leases being agreed.

That is certainly proving to be the case. But as with any changes, green leases are not without their challenges. (more…)

High vacancy levels in the commercial lease market are starting to see landlords make some real efforts to woo tenants.

I’ve started to see landlords undertaking refurbishments to make their buildings more attractive to tenants. There is also a trend to not simply take on cosmetic improvements, but to  (more…)

Going green is fast shifting from being an optional extra to core business.

Across the Tasman, in the corporate world, green leases are becoming widespread; and there is a financial imperative, and incentive, in ensuring your lease has environmental sustainability built in.

I’m expecting in the very short term that (more…)

More and more significant building developments are setting out to achieve five star green building ratings. Large insurance companies, banks, and energy companies are leading the charge to go green.

And there is no doubt that these buildings are both grand and green, costing much more than the average.

So what happens to the rest of us? Do (more…)

Now that sustainability has become front page news and a potential source of income, everyone is scrambling to go green.

So how do we tell whether someone is genuine, or simply doing a quick ‘greenwash’ to look good? How do we spot a building that is truly green? (more…)

In 2008, all the increased talk and media coverage about sustainability is set to go to a new level, as government and consumers alike start to demand action.

In New Zealand, government procurement policies and new standards around carbon emissions will increasingly become the concern of CFOs as they grapple with the likely impacts on the balance sheet, and strategic direction of their organisations. It’s time for debate to end and action to begin, whether we like it or not, to integrate sustainable practices as smart and savvy business practices.