Developer Garbe Industrial Real Estate CEE has completed the construction of the first building of its industrial park in Piešťany, Slovakia. The new development is in line with the company’s sustainable philosophy and the hall's roof features photovoltaic panels, which will be the primary renewable energy source.

In Prague 7, Skanska is preparing the first office project in the Czech Republic which is being built on the principle of the circular economy. The Mercury project is being built with materials from demolished buildings and will have 20,000 sqm of premium office and retail space.

The office market in Bucharest could start to see a mode generalized increase in rents due to a limited volume of deliveries slated for 2023 and a limited vacancy rate for modern buildings, predict experts of Colliers. 

The Hungarian property company is bolstering its sustainability efforts by entering an agreement with the fast-growing Norwegian Proptech company Varig Technologies.

During the fifteen years YIT has been present in the Czech market, the company has seen a significant change in the behaviour of its clients, their demands and its emphasis on high quality. If we add to this the recent rise in energy and building materials prices, we are motivated to look for new materials with minimal environmental impact, says Dana Bartoňová, Sales Director of YIT Stavo in an interview with Property Forum.

Stefan de Goeij has rejoined CTP as ESG and Energy Lead, after a two-year break, reporting directly to the company’s founder and CEO Remon Vos.

Some players in the Hungarian commercial property sector have made significant steps to transform the industry, but the majority have failed to do so. Property Forum asked Zsombor Barta, President of the Hungary Green Building Council (HuGBC) about the way the entire industry should act to reach net zero as adopted by the European Union.

Some developers forecast that sales prices will increase in the future purely as a result of the zero-emission requirements currently being placed on buildings but there is no consensus as to what the ultimate effect will be. Robert David, Partner and Tomáš Kren, Senior Associate at Wolf Theiss’ Prague office talked to Property Forum about the increasingly important role ESG compliance plays in real estate transactions and potential regulatory changes that can affect the market.

Negotiators of the Council and the European Parliament reached an agreement aimed at taxing imports based on the greenhouse gas emissions needed to make the products, which would extensively cover the imports of construction materials. 

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is supporting the development of the secondary market for green commercial real estate in CEE with an equity investment of up to €50 million, in partnership with Adventum's Penta real estate fund. The partnership will acquire commercial real-estate assets, which will then undergo upgrades to improve their resource efficiency.