Power Tools for Commercial-Investment Practitioners

Actor / Activist Brad Pitt has joined forces with national environmental organization, Global Green USA, to promote eco-friendly commercial and residential rebuilding in New Orleans. The new idea, called green design, promotes the use of materials that are cheaper for people to inhabit and better for the environment. Along with Global Green, Pitt announced an architectural competition to design an environmentally friendly 12-unit apartment complex. Six finalists have been chosen from 3000 global participants. Pitt is also putting a different kind of green into the project... about 100,000 dollars of his own money so far.

Posted on July 17 at 11:42 AM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Real estate investors, academics, and landlords met in London recently to discuss ways to bolster "socially responsible" investment with the adoption of new industry standards. The meeting included a unit of Great Britain's Prudential, as well as San Francisco's Rudolf Steiner Foundation and it was supported by the United Nations. In short, the group focused on strategies that institutional investors can utilize to be more environmentally responsible. Currently, the investment philosophy is flourishing abroad. For example, Australian's Land Lease Corporation uses color-coded recycling bins at construction sites to recycle wood products and wallboard. British commercial landlord, Land Securities, claims to have saved $81,000 on an annual power bill simply by asking tenants to make minor changes to energy consumption habits such as turning off lights when not in use.

Posted on July 7 at 03:03 PM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (0) | TrackBacks (0)