At the ULI Carolinas Meeting held in February in Charlotte, the session The Practicality of Sustainability: Micro & Macro Actions for Development addressed strategies to overcome the perception that sustainable development always means higher cost and extended timelines. Panelists included Moderator Jeff Benavides, Director of City and Building Performance at the U.S. Green Building Council; Laurie Colwander, Director of Multifamily and Commercial Building Performance at Southern Energy Management; Katie Blum, Director of Real Estate Development at East West Partners; and Jeffrey Pransky, Vice President of Property Management at EDENS.  

The annual ULI Sustainability Outlook Report was recently released, offering a deep dive into the impacts of sustainability on financial performance. Also, ULI Greenprint – a network of 125 developers and companies dedicated to decarbonizing their portfolios – offers peer learning sessions and tailored resources to ULI members, facilitating networking opportunities to support sustainability-driven initiatives.  ULI Charlotte recently published a technical assistance panel featuring a Road Map to NetZero for Commercial Buildings.  

Colwander stated that Southern Energy Management helps companies establish sustainability goals and take steps to meet those goals, working with single-family, multifamily and commercial developers. Certifications vary for different types but include Fitwell, NGBS Green, Green Globes and LEED Green Building. 

Crescent Communities prioritizes building performance and reduction of embodied carbon through meaningful certifications, modeled/demonstrated EUI, integrating solar panels into multifamily amenities and implementing a green construction task force.  

Similarly, Pransky highlighted EDENS’ focus on stewardship and sustainability initiatives in their shopping centers, aiming for carbon neutrality by 2026 through measures including EV stations, solar panels, roofing to lower energy cost, reduction in electricity usage, recycled waste and LEED-accredited employees.  

Blum emphasized that East West Partners’ core value is building green and consider building sustainably as an obligation. Based in Colorado, East West Partners builds in areas that have varying sustainability requirements, from Denver to Charleston, S.C. They set a baseline goal starting in 2022 that all new projects East West Partners builds will be 100% operating net zero carbon. In some areas, it’s an option to purchase offsite renewables through the local energy company, which isn’t an option in Charleston.   

In the Q&A session, discussions revolve around navigating differing municipal standards, the importance of third-party certification and addressing water management through innovative design solutions. Panelists emphasized how sustainability should be considered an amenity. Although sustainability requirements aren’t as strict in the Carolinas as in some other parts of the country, they all recognized the importance of staying ahead of the game.  

The consensus among panelists is clear: while there may be challenges, the financial benefits and long-term viability of sustainable practices far outweigh the initial costs. As the industry moves forward, collaboration, education and innovation will continue to drive sustainable development efforts. 

About the Author: Angela Vogel Daley is the VP of Strategy & Operations at Yellow Duck Marketing, overseeing the strategic direction of clients from conception to execution, including branding, content, digital, public relations, and social media.