2008-06-02

The sustainable development, finance and operation of commercial property is one of the main focuses at EXPO REAL 2008, which takes place from 6 to 8 October in Munich. In the accompanying conference programme, experts will be exploring the various aspects of ‘Sustainability and the property sector’, such as the increasing value of sustainably constructed buildings, sustainability in the urban context, and the relationship between sustainability and corporate social responsibility. They will be illustrating their talks with a whole series of best-practice examples. The venue for EXPO REAL – the New Munich Trade Fair Centre – is itself a shining example of sustainability.

Buildings account for over 40 percent of energy consumption and therefore greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union. Largely unnoticed by the wider public, the Council of Industry and Energy Ministers of the EU passed a directive in 2003 on the overall energy-efficiency of buildings. This is part of the EU efforts to combat climate change; the aim is to reduce energy consumption and carbon-dioxide emissions. The Kyoto Protocol formed the basis for this decision – in this declaration the industrialised nations committed themselves to reducing emissions of greenhouse gases by 2012 by an average of 5.2 percent. Because of their leading role, the EU and Germany are aiming at a reduction of eight and 21 percent respectively. As a result the construction and property sector is having to rethink. ‘Sustainability’ and ‘energy efficiency’ are now dominating discussions within the sector worldwide.

Probably the most ambitious green building project at present is under construction in the Chinese province of Guangzhou. The Chicago-based architects Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) have designed the Pearl River Tower, the first zero-energy skyscraper in the world. Equipped with wind turbines, solar panels and its own mini power stations, and built in an energy-efficient way, this 310-metre high tower will only consume the energy that it produces itself. As well as individual buildings, entire ‘eco-cities’ are being planned. The Vauban project in Freiburg in Germany and the BedZED project in the south of London, England – two housing estates that achieve sustainability in their combination of resource-efficient planning, design and technology – are already completed. The two latest developments are far outside the borders of Europe – one is the Dongtan project on the outskirts of Shanghai, the other is a city entirely without carbon-dioxide emissions and waste, scheduled to be built in Abu Dhabi.

In the US the LEED evaluation process has become established. This certification, awarded by the US Green Building Council is a recognised ecological evaluation process in the US and Canada. In general it will become more and more the case that buildings that use less energy will achieve higher rental and sale prices than those that have poor energy performance. Energy efficiency and sustainable construction not only reduce the operating costs of a building, they also enhance the image of a company and are regarded as a contribution to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

Messe München (MMG), the organiser of the international property trade fair EXPO REAL, sees itself among the circle of companies that accept responsibility for the environment. In planning, building and operating the exhibition centre a whole range of energy-efficiency and environmental-protection measures were taken into account. For example, the centre features one of the biggest roof-mounted photovoltaic systems in the world. This brings savings of around 7,000 tonnes of carbon-dioxide emissions per year. If this volume were to be loaded into trucks, their number would amount to 116,000. Lined up in a row, they would stretch for about 2,000 kilometres, the distance between Hamburg and Madrid! The Munich exhibition centre is also meeting its environmental commitments in other ways – in its sophisticated block-type thermal power station, in the system for allowing rainwater to seep into the groundwater via trenching pipes, in its rainwater storage, in the use of energy-saving light bulbs and in the earmarking of 17 percent of the entire site (around 125,000 square metres) as green space. Also, the complex features no less than 35,000 square metres of green roofs.


Further information about  EXPO REAL: www.exporeal.net

EXPO REAL
EXPO REAL, the 11th International Commercial Property Exposition, takes place from 6 to 8 October 2008 at the New Munich Trade Fair Centre. The event is an international platform for networking on cross-border and cross-sector projects, investment and finance. It covers the entire spectrum of the property sector and brings together players from all the key markets from Europe, to Russia, the Middle East and the US. An extensive conference programme, featuring around 400 speakers, provides an in-depth overview of current trends and innovations in property investment and finance. Taking part in EXPO REAL 2007 were 1,823 exhibitors from 43 countries, and 23,800 visitors from 77 countries. Including representatives from the exhibiting companies, the fair thus attracted over 39,000 participants. Exhibitor and visitor statistics for the EXPO REAL trade fair are audited by an accountant on behalf of the Gesellschaft zur Freiwilligen Kontrolle von Messe- und Ausstellungszahlen (FKM, Society for Voluntary Control of Fair and Exhibition Statistics).

Messe München International (MMI)
Messe München International (MMI) is one of the world´s leading trade-fair organisations. It organises around 40 trade fairs for capital and consumer goods, and new technology. Over 30,000 exhibitors from more than 100 countries, and over two million visitors from more than 200 countries take part each year in the trade fairs in Munich. In addition, MMI organises trade fairs in Asia, Russia, the Middle East and in South America. With six subsidiaries abroad and 66 foreign representatives covering 89 countries, MMI has a truly global network.


Press conctact:
Petra Gagel           
Tel.: (+49 89) 9 49-2 02 44, Fax: (+49 89) 9 49-2 02 49
E-mail: petra.gagel@messe-muenchen.de

MarComGB1/pet