Challenge: A successful green leasing program starts with a strong and unwavering commitment by leadership, typically from the building owner’s organization, but it could also be driven by a tenant or a third-party property management company. If sustainability is not a core part of organizational goals and the company has not dedicated resources to it, green leasing may be viewed by team members as an additional hurdle to getting their specific job done or a deal executed. A landlord’s core business is to lease space in buildings, and if the importance of sustainability is not driven from the top and enforced then it will come across as optional and not be a priority by managers and other employees. Creating green lease language is not difficult—but if there is not strong support and enthusiasm communicated from leadership, it will be a short-lived practice.
Solution: The leadership team at an organization can be engaged either by employees, peers, investors, government, or non-profit organizations to provide education on the benefits of green leasing. There is healthy competition in the Washington, DC commercial real estate market and companies are motivated and influenced by what peer organizations are doing. Understanding success through real-life examples can unlock great potential in a company that has not traditionally focused on sustainability or health initiatives in the past. To drive home the commitment by leadership to implement green leasing clauses, sustainability goals should be part of every employee’s performance review process, which determines annual raises, bonuses, and other benefits.