The Commercial Real Estate Revolution

The new book Strategy for Sustainability provides a fresh common sense approach to the topic. The author and CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi, Adam Werbach, describes the business case behind sustainability and frames the discussion in broader terms than chasing green points.

The book is an important compliment to our efforts with Mindshift. The idea of sustainability goes beyond building more energy efficient buildings. The economic crater plus the social pressure for companies to provide sustainable products and buildings (even if the term is broad and ambiguous) is forcing companies to think – and think hard.

1. Are we really in this game because we believe in the fundamental value of a sustainable business or did we succumb to the romance of green marketing or give in to the pressure of our competition?
2. Werbach asks if our metrics measure simply short-term Profit goals or do we use True North goals that also drive higher profits?
3. Do we assume sustainable strategies also mean higher costs or are we able to frame sustainable practices the same way Toyota framed quality; not as a trade-off with cost but as a built-in feature of quality.
4. Are we practicing sustainable behavior on a personal level  and helping our people learn how to live more sustainably?
5. Do we even have a baseline of our current carbon footprint or environmental impact and can we see it translated into meaningful language? The first step toward change is understanding the current state.

Within the context of a tough economy the question of sustainable practices takes on real relevance. As a futurist I see a lot of dollars shifting from building new buildings to improving existing portfolios. There is a large opportunity to examine several of the principles we share in the book to reduce some of the 50% waste in the projects we run.

Enjoy this interview with Adam Werbach.