Colm Lauder: Are developers ‘greenwashing’ by paying for sustainability certificates?

Remark

Planning regulations already mean that construction must be environmentally friendly, but a commercial industry has developed to respond to the need to be seen as green

It has become almost inevitable for developers, builders, agents and tenants to ensure that their commercial buildings are adorned with acronyms such as BREEAM, LEED, NZEB or WELL to brag about their sustainability features.

They are all common on the billboards of Dublin’s latest office developments and in agents’ marketing brochures.

These certifications, which entail not insignificant costs for developers and owners, are a must-have for new projects at every stage of development.