For those in the know, “green” is being taken as “read”. However, for those not informed, “green wash” is the order of the day. Major international corporates, governments and even some property investors are claiming to be green. And they believe that, by being green, they are also sustainable.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Being green is not the same thing as being sustainable. Before setting out the issues, it is as well to understand the two imperatives that are driving the property market.

CERTAIN UNCERTAINTY

Climate change is resulting in some extraordinary events. A global certainty is climate uncertainty. Be it floods in England, enormous flash floods in southern Europe or raging fires in California or Greece caused by droughts (and careless people), these are harsh realities facing the property market.

And laws are changing; like them or not, everybody who occupies a building in Europe from now on will have to