The Second Wave of Sustainability Is Health and Well-Being

by Sam Adams, CEO and co-founder of Vert Asset Management

For health and wellbeing in buildings, a wellness certification for a building was a luxury a year ago. Now some consider it a must have, and a way to encourage workers back to the office.

We humans typically spend 90 percent of our time indoors. Perhaps that’s why many us are somewhat complacent about buildings. We generally assume they are safe places to be. The pandemic changed all that. Suddenly, our attention is on whether our immediate environs can make us sick. We are asking questions about air quality, surface cleanliness, and even elevator capacity.

Professor Joe Allen’s book, Healthy Buildings, identifies the nine foundations of a healthy building (see diagram) — ventilation, air quality, health, moisture, dust and pests, safety and security, water quality, noise, lighting and views. They are derived from 40 years of scientific evidence on the factors that drive better health and performance for a buildings’ occupants. Buildings consume 40 percent of global energy and create 30 percent of global energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. Being the energy hogs that they are, it was perhaps logical for the early focus of ESG investors to be on energy use reduction. It was also an easy return on investment. Reduce the energy use, reduce the utility bill. That’s good for the planet, and good for profit too. But what about the people?

A healthy workforce is a more profitable one. Healthier workplaces see less employee absenteeism, less sick days, and less employee turnover. Improving workspaces so people are more productive...

Read Sam's full article including the 3-30-300 Rule and Investing in Health & Well-Being all here - https://greenmoney.com/the-second-wave-of-sustainability-is-health-and-wellbeing/