Here’s a not-so-fun fact of the day: the real estate industry is responsible for almost 40% of global carbon emissions. That makes it the second-largest contributor to CO2 emissions behind the oil and gas industry.

Of course, the cause of these emissions isn’t the buying or selling of houses, or property managers driving around to different homes to conduct inspections; 70% of these emissions are due to building operation (heating, cooling, gas supply) and the other 30% is caused by the construction industry.

With this in mind, sustainable real estate has become a priority for environmental experts and investors alike.

What can you do to reduce your carbon footprint when it comes to investing in property? Sure, you could catch public transport to the auction – but there are some far better ways to achieve this. Let’s discuss investing in eco-friendly properties with the experts from Patrick Leo:

What is sustainable real estate?

Sustainable real estate refers to residential or commercial properties that have been designed, built or modified with the aim of minimising environmental impact. Sustainable properties prioritise energy efficiency, renewable energy, water conservation and waste reduction.

Investing in eco-friendly properties

Eco-friendliness has become a major priority for property investors – not only for the minimisation of environmental impact, but also because eco-friendly properties almost always cost less to operate.

Investing in property and increasing its eco-friendliness

Instead of looking for property that’s already eco-friendly, it’s beneficial to invest in a non-eco-friendly property and then increase its sustainable elements. This way, you’re adding one more sustainable property to the world, rather than buying one that’s already sustainable.

How to increase property sustainability

Property operation accounts for 70% of the real estate industry’s carbon emissions. The great news is that increasing a property’s sustainability has never been easier and more affordable. Some of the key ways to increase your investment property’s sustainability include:

• Installing solar panels

  Solar panels produce 20 times less carbon emissions than coal-powered electricity sources. They’re a simple way to drastically reduce your property’s CO2 output.

• Solar power storage battery

  Solar batteries like the Tesla Powerwall store the unused energy from your solar panels, lowering your power bill and CO2 output even more.

• Installing rain water tanks

  Water conservation is one of the most important aspects of sustainability. Rain water tanks are a simple, affordable way to reduce water consumption and waste. They come in various sizes and can even be installed underground to take up less space.

Patrick Leo places a strong emphasis in sustainability in real estate. We can help you find sustainable investment properties or help you plan to increase eco-friendliness of existing properties through our expert property management services. Get in touch with Australia’s best team in investment property at Patrick Leo today.