CBRE increasing its green space

Commercial property services firm CBRE has set out to increase green space in its offices by 20%, demonstrating the company’s ongoing commitment to sustainability.

As a partner of 202020 Vision - a not-for-profit, collaborative initiative aimed at a 20% increase in urban green space by 2020 - the firm has introduced hundreds of plants into its 21 offices across Australia and New Zealand since last year. The company plans to ramp up efforts in the coming years until reaching the 20% goal.

Amanda Steele, CBRE head of Sustainability, Pacific and herself an advocate for 202020 Vision, said the company’s role as a commercial property manager means it is “relatively simple and easy for us to introduce green space into our own tenancies, as well as encourage our clients to adopt similar measures”. The firm chose hardy, low-allergy, air-purifying plant varieties to boost health benefits and provide a pleasing aesthetic to its installations.

Integrating green space into the work environment is said to have significant health benefits including reduced absenteeism, more rapid recovery from stress, increased patience and overall satisfaction. Steele said feedback from CBRE staff has so far been “overwhelmingly positive”, with the company to measure the impact of the increased green space on absenteeism after 12 months.

“Working in greener spaces is proven to boost our moods, creating a happier and healthier workplace, which ultimately leads to financially quantifiable results for a business,” she said.

Additional benefits of the initiative include offsetting the urban heat island effect and protecting Australia and New Zealand’s pristine natural environments, Steele added.

“What once was an oversight to not integrate plants into buildings and leave large amounts of open space on rooftops is now becoming a new area of opportunity in the property industry,” she concluded.