Investors and tenants in Romania appear to have higher expectations regarding the environmental characteristics of the building than their counterparts in other countries, according to a survey by CBRE of 20 building owners in Romania.
The study further shows that 99% of Romanian respondents consider features that reduce energy consumption to be a priority. At the same time, certification for green buildings ranks second in the opinion of Romanian owners, with a percentage of 89%. Among the key environmental features for building owners is smart technology, which adjusts building operations to reduce environmental impact (88%).
“Romania aligns itself with European trends when it comes to sustainability. The survey results showed that Central Europe leads the way in setting net zero goals, with companies in the EU and the UK committing to net zero earlier than respondents in other regions. When it comes to Romania, we can even say that the expectations of building owners are more demanding, and they attach even greater importance to ESG standards. In addition, ESG is becoming an increasing pressure on the performance of buildings, especially for leasing companies," said Daniela Gavril, Head of Research at CBRE.
According to CBRE's analysis, around 70% of respondents focused their attention on ESG in 2022, driven by external factors such as the government's mandate for ESG strategy transparency, but also due to higher energy prices (55%). At the same time, the company's internal policy, values, or ethics represented the top priorities for all respondents.
