NEWS & EVENTS

A green building boom is expected in Asia—and that could change the face of marketing serviced offices.

Indeed, CoreNet Global is predicting that Asia could witness a green building construction boom to accommodate the need for eco-friendly office space there. At the same time, a CB Richard Ellis’ Global Office Market View predicts a growing demand for office space in the Asia-Pac.

Michael Zamora, CoreNet Global board member, told the The South China Morning Post that “A lot more companies are looking for green space, and Asia is growing, with more multinational corporations coming here.”

Of course, it’s going to take some time for green office buildings to come out of the dirt—years, in fact. In the meantime, business centers in Asia can compete on the green office front by making some adjustments—and marketing them.

Here are some tips on how your business center can go green, without building from the ground up… much of it is a matter of educating your tenants: • Use of recycled paper in the office. • Print on both sides of the paper. • Reuse old printed materials for scrap paper. • Suggest a ‘don’t print this’ policy for e-mails, company memos and other materials that could be shared electronically. • Launch a recycling program. • Implement a turn-off-the-lights policy. • Turn off all the computers and other equipment when you leave the office. • Buy recycled toilet paper, paper towers and green cleaning supplies. • Buy “green” furniture. • Use energy efficient light bulbs. • Purchase Energy Star-rated electronics and appliances. • Use a water cooler and personalized mugs instead of buying individual water bottles. • Use silverware and ceramic plates instead of plastic and paper.

Now, don’t forget to market your business center as “environmentally-friendly.”

The benefits of going green are now time-tested, but new research continues to emerge to make the case for a green offices. On the financial front, the Environmental Protection Agency reports businesses, organizations and consumers saved $17 billion in 2009 by using energy-efficient products. Office users can save $60 a year in energy costs just from switching to compact florescent light bulbs, which use two-thirds less energy and last up to 10 times longer.

There are also health and productivity benefits. Workers who moved from conventional office buildings to environmentally friendly green buildings say they call in sick less often and are more productive, according to a study by a team of Michigan State University researchers.

And a study from CB Richard Ellis and the University of San Diego offers similar findings. Respondents report an average of 2.88 fewer sick days in their current green office versus their previous non-green office, and about 55 percent of respondents indicated that employee productivity had improved.

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