An annual report from the ULI Greenprint Center for Building Performance found an approximately 12.4 percent reduction in carbon emissions in 2020 compared with an average fall of 3.5 percent in previous years. In addition, the report found real estate owners took advantage of reduced occupancy during the pandemic to double the implementation of energy efficiency projects.
The annual report, benchmarking 11,991 properties in 30 countries, shows the impact of COVID-19 on building performance. Reductions were much larger than in previous years, likely due to lower utilization of properties: carbon dioxide emissions were down 12.4 percent, water consumption down 8.1 percent, energy consumption down 12.5 percent, electricity use down 12.4 percent, natural gas use down 8.9 percent, landfill waste down 11.7 percent and waste diversion down 6.6 percent.
With many office and retail assets largely unoccupied, the number of ESG projects implemented increased significantly. In 20