The National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP), released an official association policy on energy.
In a proactive approach to engage its members and the commercial development industry in advancing an economically prosperous and sustainable built environment, NAIOP commits to:
*Encourage the real estate development industry to employ every technically feasible, cost-effective, sustainable strategy available to increase energy efficiency of new and existing buildings, and to employ cleaner, low carbon energy alternatives, wherever possible.
*Advance public policies that accelerate ongoing energy efficiency and sustainability gains; support cleaner energy alternatives; and promote, wherever practical, less carbon intensive transportation options to and from buildings.
*Engage in educational programs, seminars and conferences to help employ best practices for energy efficient development.
Energy consumption in commercial buildings has improved by 25% in the past 30 years, despite the increase of computers and other office technologies.
Data from the Department of Energy and the U.S. EPA shows that the commercial building sector accounts for 4% of the direct CO2 emissions (from onsite energy combustion) and 12% of indirect CO2 emissions.
Toward its efforts of reduced energy use by commercial development, NAIOP commits to working with local, state and national policy makers to support and implement specific initiatives and development practices.
The entire statement can be found at www.naiop.org.

Among those listed in the entire statement include the following key objectives for policy makers (all objectives are available on the Energy Statement), with whom NAIOP will work with thoroughly to:
*Support energy efficiency incentives for new and existing buildings through R&D and local, state and federal tax provisions; encourage construction of more energy efficient sustainable buildings through robust incentives, such as priority building permit review, improved tax treatment and zoning density bonuses
*Allow for real estate to participate directly or indirectly in greenhouse gas "Cap and Trade" markets in a way that recognizes, where appropriate, past and current energy conservation efforts.
*Support accelerated development of and increased access to cleaner, more efficient and lower carbon fuels, including onsite or distributed generation and "net metering."

"Increased energy efficiency and better use of non-carbon based fuels are critical and can produce reduced CO2 emissions," said Thomas J. Bisacquino, NAIOP president. "These efficiencies can be achieved through a combination of forward-thinking building development, retrofits, operational practices and positive incentive based changes in public policy."

The Energy Policy follows NAIOP's Policy on Sustainable Development, which was announced in September 2007. That statement calls on NAIOP members "to employ every usable, cost-effective, sustainable strategy available."

NAIOP is a leading provider of education and information related to sustainable development, which includes the following resources on www.naiop.org:
*Online Green Resource Center - Collection of industry news, publications and conferences and Webinars.
*Legislative Toolkit for Sustainable Building Ordinance - Resource designed to assist chapters in implementing a local green ordinance; includes a sample ordinance that is editable for specific need. A Webinar explaining the Toolkit's usage is available.

*Green Legislative Resource Center - Central member resource for current information on federal, state and local legislation affecting green development.
*Green Development Award - Presented annually to a member-developer for an exemplary green project.

"NAIOP is steadfast in its commitment to serving the commercial real estate industry with practical and valuable resources that can immediately be effective in this constantly revolutionizing world of sustainable development," said Bisacquino. "The industry must be responsive and responsible, continuing to transform the way it does business and creating workplaces and retail spaces that are beneficial to both the environment and the developer."

The commercial real estate development industry is one of the leading U.S. employers, supporting 4.2 million jobs across all sectors of the national economy. The industry also generates personal earnings of $1.2 trillion and contributes more than $494.8 billion to the Gross Domestic Product.

Interview opportunities regarding the policy statement are available and may be established by contacting Kathryn Hamilton at (703) 904-7100.

About NAIOP: The National Association of Industrial and Office Properties is the nation's leading trade association for developers, owners, investors and asset managers in industrial, office and mixed-use commercial real estate. Founded in 1967, NAIOP comprises more than 16,500 members in 55 North American chapters and provides networking opportunities, educational programs, research on trends and innovations and strong legislative representation. For more information, visit www.naiop.org.

Related Resources and Links:
*Online Green Resource Center : www.naiop.org/resourcecenter/gr.cfm
*Legislative Toolkit for Sustainable Building Ordinance: (contact [email protected] for an access password) www.naiop.org/membersArea/greenresource/legislative/greentoolkit.cfm
*Green Legislative Resource Center : (contact [email protected] for an access password) www.naiop.org/membersArea/greenresource/legislative/legislative.cfm
*Green Development Award: www.naiop.org/newsroom/greenaward.cfm
*Green Building Incentives That Work: A Look at How Local Governments Are Incentivizing Green Development (NAIOP Research Foundation Report): www.naiop.org/foundation/greenincentives.pdf