Sustainability requirements are becoming increasingly important in commercial real estate, influencing tenant expectations, building management strategies and the long-term value of assets, Diana Gruianu, Marketing Manager Office at CPI Romania, said at the Sustainability in Business Forum, organised by Sustainability Today and The Diplomat-Bucharest.
Companies looking for office space are increasingly prioritising energy-efficient buildings, optimised resource consumption, green mobility infrastructure and flexible, inclusive workplaces that support their own environmental, social and governance (ESG) objectives.
“Sustainability in real estate, as in all other market segments, has of course become important in recent years. Companies looking for premises in which to operate have more requirements. They look for energy-efficient buildings, buildings that balance their consumption, invest in green infrastructure and mobility, and develop workspaces that are flexible, inclusive and adapted to their needs,” Gruianu said.
As tenants increasingly establish their own ESG targets, property owners have a growing responsibility to ensure that their buildings support these ambitions. According to Gruianu, the alignment between landlords’ sustainability strategies and tenants’ objectives is becoming a key factor in portfolio management.
“Many companies have their own ESG objectives, and we, as owners of the spaces and buildings in which they operate, must help them achieve these goals. Their objectives, together with ours, naturally determine how we manage our portfolio,” she explained.
CPI Romania is part of CPI Property Group, a European real estate group with established ESG criteria. At local level, the company focuses primarily on improving the technical performance of its buildings and ensuring that they remain relevant over the long term.
“Our investments are continuous. They include improving water and energy efficiency, expanding green spaces, digitalisation and obtaining relevant building certifications,” Gruianu said.
These measures are intended to improve operational performance while responding to the changing expectations of tenants, who increasingly assess office space beyond location and rental costs.
Energy and water efficiency, green areas, digital infrastructure and recognised sustainability certifications are becoming important components of how commercial properties are developed and managed.
Beyond environmental performance, sustainability is also becoming a factor in the long-term commercial relevance and value of real estate assets.
For landlords, investing in building upgrades and aligning properties with tenants’ ESG requirements can help maintain the attractiveness of office space in a changing market. For tenants, these features can support corporate sustainability commitments and contribute to more efficient workplaces.
“In a nutshell, asset value is definitely influenced by the level of sustainability, which determines the value and duration of a lease agreement in real estate,” Gruianu said.
