As a green building consultant, one of the biggest fundamental flaws I hear in the green building discussion is that green building costs more and is less profitable. Our goal is to help you design projects that are profitable AND green. Yes, it can be profitable and environmentally friendly at the same time, they are not mutually exclusive.

That said, one question still puzzles developers: what exactly is sustainable planning and development? What does sustainable development mean? Why do we care about issues like climate change, environmental pollution and energy shortages? Why is everyone talking about sustainable development? Is advice on sustainable development just the latest buzzword rolling out? Is it simply fashionable to claim you are an expert on the environment and plant trees and switch to CFL bulbs to show proof?

Al Gore says: “There is a growing feeling that we are reaching the limit of the Earth’s ability to sustain our civilization.” That is popular opinion and the answer to all these questions is an obvious “no”. The earth’s climate is being negatively affected and rapid economic development undoubtedly leaves little for our future generations. The threat to our environment is real, clear, and almost here. How can we minimize the damage? Leave a healthier earth for our future generations? The answer lies in sustainable planning and development.

How do we define it? The United States Department of Energy defines sustainable development as: “Sustainable development is a strategy by which communities seek economic development approaches that also benefit the local environment and quality of life.”

Christine Ervin, Deputy Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energies at the Department of Energy defines sustainable development as: “Sustainable development enables economic progress and environmental quality to be compatible goals. Communities are discovering that sustainable development strategies save money. taxpayers and improve local business profits and make the community more livable. “

When Thomas Jefferson in 1789 made the following statement, he may not have been talking about sustainable development, as it is used today, but there was a definite vision of what the future would be like if humanity refused to be prudent with the gifts of humanity. nature: “So I say that the earth belongs to each … generation during its due course, fully and in its own right, no generation can incur debts greater than it can pay during the course of its own existence.”

Robert Gilaman, President of the Context Institute defines sustainability as “Sustainability refers to the ability of a society, ecosystem or any ongoing system to continue to function in the indefinite future without being forced to decline due to the depletion … of key resources “.

The answer must begin at the ‘micro level’, with us, who use the spoils of nature to progressively urbanize. The solution to the problem must begin with the way we ‘build’, ‘create’ and ‘remodel’ our towns, cities and homes. Green development initiatives are the premier solutions for sustainable development.

Solutions for sustainable development are required and must be long-term, pervasive policies involving governments, societies and individuals. But before we start talking about the benefits of sustainable development, let’s take a closer look: “How do we define sustainable development?”

The definitions are many, but the most accepted definition of sustainable development is “Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.” On a lighter and anonymous note, sustainable development is “Growth without fooling our children.”

The definition of sustainable development can differ between geographies, cultures and countries. However, at the end of the day, it is a process that requires global participation at the individual level. Individual contribution is important because it forms the basis of the ‘Three pillars of sustainable development’: economic, environmental and social.

The ‘social’ pillar of people interacts with the other two, environmental and economic, and in that sense promotes the concept of sustainable development.

Since we use the environment for social and economic purposes, it is up to us to decide whether the current balance between “environment” and “economic” is beneficial for us in the long term. We can continue to use wood to build our houses and destroy all of our forests or decide on healthier alternatives that help the economy grow and keep our planet safe and secure so that our future generations can build their houses. In this sense, “people” are the focal point of the whole picture. Therefore, by definition, you and I, the real estate owner, builder or developer, are part of the basic principles of sustainable development: people, planet, profits.

So what steps can you take as a builder or owner to ensure sustainable real estate development? You can do a lot. Changing a light bulb to CFL may not be the complete solution, but it is a definite first step towards it. As a homeowner, you can search for sustainable development topics online and examine the different options you can make for a greener home. Informative articles on sustainable development abound on the web and there is much you can learn about making ecologically healthier choices for that new home you plan to build or for that remodel job you have in mind on your vacation home.

However, a greater responsibility falls on the shoulders of the real estate developer community because if we build it ‘green’ from scratch, we have a stronger impact. Contrary to popular belief, the role of private sector developers in sustainable real estate development is key and much more profitable. Building ‘green’ makes sense and is profitable. In addition, sustainable real estate development has the go-ahead from the government: “In the not too distant future, all development will be green. Developers, builders and buyers will find that green not only improves their pockets, but also their health and quality. of their lives. Developers who understand this first will have an advantage in a massive emerging market … “- William S. Becker, Director, Center of Excellence for Sustainable Development, US Department of Energy.

The benefits of sustainable development for a real estate developer or builder are manifold and make financial sense. Take the case of Wal-Mart, whose environmental initiatives are reaping benefits such as significantly reduced energy consumption and lower water bills. Charles Zimmerman, Wal-Mart vice president of prototyping and new format development, says they have succeeded in doing this by using “50% less heat generating and mercury-free refrigerators, low heat light sources, bathroom fixtures and fittings. low flow and waterless urinals cut water bills in half. ” Other Wal-Mart initiatives such as ‘Daylighting’ have paid off in less than 2 years.

If builders and developers incorporate similar systems into the design stage of a project, sustainable residential development can become a reality. Building and architectural design that helps a homeowner reduce their monthly household expenses would, in itself, be a strong enough reason for green building products to be in demand.

Profits and improved profitability through sustainable real estate development are catching up and in the blink of an annual eye can become the standard. Says Brenna Walraven, president-elect of the National Association of Building Owners and Managers and national director of property management at USAA Reality Co., based in San Antonio, “In five years, sustainable construction will become the norm, in partly because of falling product costs and the rest of commercial real estate needs to keep pushing harder for green … it keeps expenses down, it’s a good deal, and most importantly, it’s the right thing to do “.

Sustainable real estate development has traditionally been clouded by the perception of higher costs for the developer. However, if sustainable building development measures are incorporated into the design stage, these costs can be completely eliminated, if not significantly reduced. For example, the use of combined heat and power generation can reduce the total capital costs of community systems such as heating. Other costs incurred in measures such as low / double flush toilets and energy efficient appliances are comparable, or similar in many cases, to their more popular standard versions.

Buildings use 35% of the nation’s energy each year. Today, there are more than 76 million residential buildings and 5 million commercial buildings in the US, and this total number is expected to increase by another 38 million by 2010. Can you imagine the stress on energy resources and consequent increase in energy purchase costs? for homes at this time? The use of sustainable residential development measures such as daylighting and solar water heating would not only reduce this stress on energy resources, but would also allow a developer to offer a client a more profitable long-term residential option.

Another way that developers and builders can benefit from sustainable development is by using more economical, sustainable and environmentally friendly alternatives to construction and building materials. Using building materials with recycled content can reduce construction costs and therefore increase profits. There are direct financial advantages here and costs, as explained above, can be minimized.

Innovation always pays dividends and builders and developers using sustainable development alternatives may be the ones to reap the benefits. There has never been a better time to adopt sustainable development measures and still be able to profit than today. What we sow now, we will reap tomorrow and thus the case for sustainable development for developers and real estate builders.