SDGs: Answering the Big Questions for the Real Estate Industry – What, Where, Why and How?

Sustainable development goals (SDGs) provide comprehensive sustainable development criteria along a property's value chain and whole-life cycle.  Since the real estate industry is chiefly responsible for the development and management of property, it must also lead the environmental stewardship of the built environment.  Building the SDGs into the strategy allows for their effective management as goals.  But, an agenda centered on all 17 SDGs is proving too broad, complex or immaterial for businesses to properly address.  To determine which SDGs are material, an environmental management system (EMS) is used to ensure programs are aligned and managed through a coordinated strategy.