IMMOFINANZ Country Manager Austria & Adriatic Katrin Gögele-Celeda at trend.TALK on sustainability in the real estate industry
In times when climate change is becoming an ever more pressing issue and calls for sustainable action are growing louder, it is essential that the real estate industry also contributes its share. That was the central topic of the most recent trend.TALK, to which Katrin Gögele-Celeda, Country Manager Austria & Adriatic of IMMOFINANZ, was invited as a panellist. Together with other experts such as Andreas Köttl, President of the Association of Austrian Project Developers (VÖPE), Peter Krammer, CEO of Swietelsky AG, and Martin Schiefer, attorney and procurement law expert, the discussion focused on how the real estate industry can exercise its key role in the climate transition.
It was evident that the construction and real estate industries are faced with major challenges. Accounting for just under 40 percent of the global CO2 emissions, they plays a crucial role in achieving climate change. In particular, refurbishing existing buildings, which are responsible for 80 percent of the emissions, represents an enormous task.
In addition to the sustainable refurbishment of existing buildings, Katrin Gögele-Celeda considers the involvement of users to be a key lever in achieving a more responsible use of resources. The aim is to find a common path towards reducing energy consumption and increasing energy efficiency by mutually sharing consumption data. The panellists agreed that digitalisation, for example the use of smart meters, would play a central role. It will no longer be possible to just close the door and lock it because it is nobody’s business how I heat my place and how much electricity I use. But it is not just the real estate and construction industries that need to rethink their actions; the same applies to the public sector. Consequently, it will be necessary to move away from the lowest bidder principle and put a stronger focus on sustainability criteria when awarding public contracts in order to achieve the climate goals.
The trend.TALK discussion shows: The real estate industry can use multiple approaches to drive sustainability. Integrating all relevant players, from project developers and construction companies to tenants and public decision-makers, is vital for the success of a more sustainable future of the construction and real estate industries.
Click here to see the video of the most recent trend.TALK “Can the real estate industry handle its key role in the energy transition?” (© trend. / VGN Studio)
Please note: The video is only available in German.
