TENANTS neglecting to meet their ongoing ESD requirements are affecting the environmental performances of buildings, according engineering firm Norman Disney & Young.
NDY’s associate Mark Thompson said whilst the property sector has made significant progress in improving the sustainability of base buildings, the ongoing ability of these buildings to meet their environmental targets can be compromised by their tenants and the use of their space.
Thompson said the Australian Building Greenhouse Ratings are devised according to a set of operational assumptions applied to a theoretical and controlled environment, but what happens in the real world can be a vastly different story.
“The way in which a tenant actually uses its workspace will have a direct effect on the environmental performance of a building and we need to explore ways to offer what tenants require whilst controlling the operational parameters of these tenancies.
“While owners and managers can be motivated to ensure their buildings perform to a robust environmental standard, tenants also need to be educated at the outset about what the building has committed to in terms of environmental performance and how their behaviour can affect this,” he added.
Thompson said it is becoming increasingly common for building owners to incorporate “green lease” clauses into traditional leases to ensure environmental performance targets are met.
“The key for tenants to ensure they are aware of their ESD requirements is to understand the various environmental constraints of the building they propose to locate in prior to signing a lease. They need to work collaboratively with their future landlord to find acceptable compromises or alternatives which are beneficial for both parties,”
Thompson said tenants must become more aware of environmental issues from the outset.
“Tenants who neglect this may find their use of the workspace compromised, or on the receiving end of financial penalties,” he concluded.
Australian Property Journal
