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“COST SAVINGS ALONE REPRESENT A COMPELLING BENEFIT OF SUSTAINABLE DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND MANAGEMENT ”energy projects that averted more than 233,000 metric tonnes of CO2e. The good news is that sound energy management strategies typically give our clients the single greatest opportunity to reduce both emissions and energy costs. This comes with no negative impact on their business operations, but a positive impact on the environment and on climate change.Cost savings alone represent a compelling benefit of sustainable design, construction and management. For example, we used IntelliCommand, our smart building management technology, in a pilot programme to increase building operating efficiency at Procter & Gamble (P&G). P&G earned back its initial investment in the technology in three months and saw average first year energy cost savings of 10 per cent. The programme, which was expanded, also improved building systems reliability, supported the company’s broader sustainability programs and actually increased employee productivity. Employers have also learned that sustainability is ‘top of mind’ for the knowledge workers they want to hire and retain. Research indicates that as many as 90 per cent of workers want to work for a company with a strong green reputation. Business interest in sustainable commercial real estate was originally driven by corporate occupiers. In addition to their own desire to be environmentally responsible, they were challenged by employees, customers and other stakeholders to become greener. More recently, real estate developers and investors have also identified benefits associated with sustainable buildings. Owners are also anticipating and responding to the imposition of new environmental regulations. We find that clients with large, geographically COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE 111