Asia Pacific cities facing an unprecedented shortage of sustainable office buildings

Major cities in Asia Pacific will be faced with a demand/supply gap for net-zero–ready workplaces as corporate net-zero carbon (NZC) targets loom, according to JLL.

Driven by commitments to NZC goals and the pressure to align real estate strategy with overall sustainability ambitions, occupiers will look beyond green certifications and make decisions based on building-level sustainability metrics, including energy efficiency and green energy procurement. However, according to JLL, a gap between commitment and action has emerged as a significant obstacle in achieving NZC goals.

“Leasing office space in green-certified office buildings is becoming a nonnegotiable for occupiers, but currently there is very little correlation between these certifications and a building’s energy performance,” said Kamya Miglani, head of ESG research, Asia Pacific, JLL. “Even buildings with platinum-grade green certifications may not be NZC-ready, partly because current regulatio