In January 5 years have passed since the European Parliament approved the Green Deal. The construction industry is accountable for 39% of global carbon dioxide emissions. The pressure to reduce emissions from clients, banks and legislation is only increasing, comments Jakub Škaloud, Project Manager and Head of the Building Differently team at VCES, one of the general contractors of Czech buildings.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has approved its real estate sector strategy for the 2025-2029 period that focuses on green and inclusive growth leveraging megatrends like digitalisation and innovation. 

Sorin Preda, CEO and Founder of Global Vision, talked to Property Forum about the company’s ongoing developments in Romania, shared his market outlook for 2025 and provided insight into the company’s investments into sustainability and technology.

The Vibe office building, developed by Ghelamco in the business centre of Warsaw, has received BREEAM certification with the highest possible rating of Outstanding.

MDC2 Park Gliwice has achieved one of the highest scores in Poland, receiving the BREEAM Outstanding New Construction certification. With a score of 92.6%, it sits amongst the top ten certified industrial buildings in Europe.

In total, 121,000 sqm of office premises in 6 A-class office buildings that form a significant part of the Investika real estate fund´s portfolio in Poland has achieved international environmental BREEAM certification. Four properties have been certified at the “Excellent” level, while two have obtained the “Very Good” level. Successful BREEAM certification, one of the two most widely recognized international sustainability standards for buildings, is part of Investika real estate fund´s ESG strategy.    

Further action is needed to meet national and global climate goals, while high costs of green practices has been cited as a barrier to sustainable building, finds the 2024 Sustainability Report of The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

Romanian developer Iulius says its entire portfolio holds green certifications or is pending certification, with more than 500,000 sqm being included in the LEED standard for green buildings.

Experts from Cushman & Wakefield note in their latest report that the residential sector in Poland is developing ESG strategies focused on environmental aspects. However, PRS and co-living investors are also undertaking community-oriented initiatives.

Romanian construction group Bog’Art has published its first sustainability report that outlines the company’s results and objectives under the ESG development framework.