Real Estate Sustainability: July 15-16

Course Overview:

This two day course is an intense look at the analytical tools around the concept of sustainable commercial real estate. Attendees will gain an understanding of what's real and what's not. Using MIT's unique combination of hard science and analytical rigor, we will examine:

What does the phrase "sustainable real estate" mean? Where does economic analysis point to best return on sustainability initiatives?

What are the key technologies that can enhance to real estate sustainability with respect to energy cost, greenhouse gas footprint, but also to other factors in addition to energy?

What is a rigorous analytical model for looking at the cost and benefits of investments in these initiatives? In particular, what has been learned about sustainability initiatives on a building by building basis or on a portfolio basis? In market segments ranging from industrial to apartment to office to hotel? In emerging economies and developed economies?

This course focuses on commercial real estate and on a rigorous look at what is enduring about the concept of sustainability.

Learning Objectives:

• Explore "who cares" among customers, financial sources, and real estate operators and what this means for where to put your resources.
• Learn a framework for where to make a difference in sustainability efforts
• Understand how to analyze costs and benefits of sustainability across the value chain of vendors, investors, building owners, and tenants/buyers
• Analyze investments in energy savings as distinct from other sustainability efforts including greenhouse gas emissions but also human factors, renewable materials, and efficiency
• Develop a road map for least cost/ highest benefit for rollout and ramp-up of sustainability investments, by building type and stage of development

Instructor Bio:

John Macomber is a real estate investor, a former commercial general contractor, and a longtime adjunct lecturer at MIT. He is now a member of the Finance faculty at Harvard Business School where he teaches Real Property and Development, Design, and Construction.