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 green leases will start to become commonplace in New Zealand.

So what are the advantages of a green lease?

Well, in the first instance, recycling and conserving energy and water saves costs. It also means you will meet increasingly stringent regulatory standards regarding environmental considerations.

A green lease is also an opportunity for both tenants and landlords to collaborate and agree initiatives, benchmarks, targets, measurements and a reporting structure. The effort to meet the environmental targets can impact financially on the rental; and both parties agree that if the targets are not met, rent can either be reduced or raised, depending on which party has fallen short.

In Australia, there are government incentives to those taking on green leases, but there is nothing similar in New Zealand.

However, the commitment of today’s workforce to environmental standards is another factor to consider, along with the demands of customers, suppliers and consumers, that being green is more than skin deep.

There is also a wide range of ‘hands on’ initiatives that can be implemented in a building that will help raise the green standard of how you operate. The benefit particularly to a smaller business is that recycling and other practices are relatively low cost to implement, as they rely largely on the volunteer efforts of staff.

Green leases will inevitably become a way of the future for all property in New Zealand, so I recommend clients think ahead to ensure they have embedded sustainability practices into their workplace and look at that being reflected in their lease terms and conditions.

I have gathered some significant information and methods for implementing green practices and green leases, so any readers interested, please feel free to drop me an email.

And feel free to leave a comment below letting us know what green practices have been implemented in your workplace.

This entry was posted on Tuesday 23rd September 2008 and is filed under Sustainability. Both comments and pings are currently closed.