NEWS &
EVENTS

Energy efficiency in buildings and urban planning was a focus of the 2019 Global Business Summit of the International Real Estate's Federation (FIABCI) in Ghent. 

Private sector actors are key to making the transition low-emission, resilient and energy-efficient buildings happen. FIABCI's 2019 global business summit showed the urgency of action in the buildings and construction sector to keep global warming below 2°C, but also the opportunities of this transformation. 

Keynote speaker Erik Ubels, Chief Technology Officer of the Dutch real-estate technology company 'The Edge' inspired the audience with his vision: Smart and sustainable buildings that integrate technology infrastructure starting from the design stage. These buildings have one goal in mind - optimising the well-being and productivity of employees while keeping the carbon footprint of the building as low as possible. 

Panel discussions and inputs from speakers with various professional and geographical backgrounds demonstrated that good practices and initiatives exist around the world. What is needed now is a mainstreaming of energy-efficient buildings and adequate urban planning into the different professional groups - from brokers to investors, architects and occupants, facility managers and valuers. 

PEEB supported FIABCI in agenda-development, session-organisation and moderation, and animated three workshops on investment, digital tools and business models for green buildings. In her closing remarks, Christiana Hageneder, head of PEEB Secretariat, summed up the main messages: 'The case for green buildings is clear and necessary tools exist. It is now time to act.' 

The Global Business Summit (GBS) is FIABCI's second-largest annual event. Hosted by FIABCI Belgium in Ghent on 6-7 December, its 2019 edition brought together around 200 international representatives from the real-estate industry.