Sustainability, key to positioning the Spanish real estate sector as a reference point

Sustainability, key to positioning the Spanish real estate sector as a reference point

La Asociación de Consultoras Inmobiliarias (ACI) has presented a new publication entitled 'Green Book. Growing towards the future'. The document, led by the seven major consultancy firms present in the Spanish market (BNP Paribas Real Estate, Catella, CBRE Spain, Cushman & Wakefield, JLL, Knight Frank and Savills Aguirre Newman) sets out how the sector is contributing to building a more environmentally sustainable society on the basis of case studies.

The event was held in the Uría Menéndez Auditorium and opened by Ricardo Martí-Fluxá, president of ACI. This was followed by a speech by Fernando García Mozos, head of the Residential and Buildings Department of IDAE, the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (Instituto para la Diversificación y Ahorro de la Energía). 

García Mozos underlined the crucial moment that the sector is experiencing with the help of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan to achieve the rehabilitation objectives seeking the decarbonization of the sector and the economy. As these are ambitious goals to be achieved in the short term, the head of the IDAE has reminded that the coordination of public administrations and sector agents such as ACI is required.

Prologis and ACCIONA participated in the preparation of the Green Book with interviews. The event was attended by Alejandro Miguel Vicente, Sustainability Manager of ACCIONA's Real Estate division, who said that a comprehensive vision of the urban environment is necessary. «Ours is a mixed approach to sustainability, in which social, environmental and economic issues are considered together and with equal weight», he said.

Cristian Oller, country manager of Prologis Spain, emphasized during the presentation that «both public entities and business organizations and citizens are aware that we have to help to incorporate sustainability into our daily lives. Companies must not remain on the sidelines and must fly the flag of leadership to implement projects that will lead us to a more sustainable future».

During his speech, the president of ACI, Ricardo Martí-Fluxá, pointed out that the 'Green Book. Growing towards the future' «provides the keys that will set the tone for the future and aims to help place the Spanish real estate sector in a leading position with respect to the countries around us».

The President also referred to the importance of public-private collaboration to face the demographic challenge that cities will have to face in the coming decades. In this way, he assured that «the objective must be to coordinate and work in a more respectful way with the environment and to do so in a way that is compatible with the progress of the economy and society. We know it is possible, because it is already happening».

This document highlights the role of ACI as a contributor to the progress of the economy and society through tools that promote professional standards and responsibility. Thus, the publication presented offers the guidelines of what today's cities are becoming and what they will be tomorrow: «More flexible and adapted to a changing society, with technology as a transversal element», explained Martí-Fluxá.

The expert also expressed the willingness of real estate consulting firms to plan rational urban development «given the fact that we have limited natural resources». These companies have adapted nimbly to global acceleration and "have a global vision of what is happening and, more importantly, what is about to happen. In times of uncertainty, having knowledge and experience is essential to take advantage of market opportunities», he said.

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