With the recent heatwave, it’s never been clearer – the time for climate action is now. Going green is a must for every industry. Whether you’re in real estate, transport or manufacturing, it’s time to think about embracing sustainability.

 

Here, Nottingham property expert Sunny Landa FRICS explains why he wants to see more electric cars on Britain’s roads – and why that should be of particular relevance to real estate professionals.

 

Climate deniers, listen up.

 

What we’ve experienced in the UK over the last couple of weeks should stand as a salutary lesson. Global warming is real, and it isn’t going away until we all take the necessary steps to create a greener, more sustainable future.

 

Ask yourself, what’s next?

 

Parts of the world will become uninhabitable in our lifetime. Any number of natural disasters could happen. Imagine if we were to experience a solar flare, for instance. Everything that employs a computer chip would be wiped out instantly. The knock-on effect could be catastrophic.

 

What can we do to prevent this? As a first step, I’d like to see electric and self-driving vehicles become more widespread. Electric cars have been around for a while now, but it’s fair to say that take-up hasn’t been quite as enthusiastic as some might have hoped.

 

That’s because the necessary infrastructure isn’t always in place.

 

One of the biggest reasons why electric cars haven’t taken off on a mass scale is range anxiety. Reports suggest that many people are worried about running out of charge if they travel for more than a few hours.

 

Herein lies the challenge for real estate professionals.

 

We need to develop a diverse charging infrastructure – and a more sustainable built environment in general – if electric cars are to become the norm.

 

Every type of real estate, be it commercial, industrial or residential, needs to be made future-ready in this respect. That means more EV charging points, for one, but it also means sympathetically designed roads, buildings that are better integrated with the surrounding environment, and more solar panels to generate electricity – the full works.

 

Refuelling stations will be key, but guess what? There’s great redevelopment potential in garage forecourts. And why not install more charging points at retail parks? Dwell time makes people spend more money. If drivers know they can power their vehicles on site, they’re more likely to stick around for longer.

 

Our task as property professionals is to create a physical environment that’s fit for a greener future, and that means redeveloping existing infrastructure if needs be.

 

Air quality would steadily improve if we do so. Think of the impact that would have on the residential market. If you have a young family, you’re going to want to move to an area with cleaner air.

 

Logistics firms are becoming increasingly concerned about environmental impact for the same reasons. Environmentally-friendly, tech-enabled warehouses and low emission fleets are becoming the order of the day.

 

In the end, the sustainable credentials of a development project will determine its long-term viability, which in turn will govern its value.

 

One thing’s for certain. If the built environment isn’t radically overhauled right now, the revolution in electric cars will be a long time coming. And that’s just one step on the road towards addressing climate change. There’s so much more we can do and we need to do it fast.

 

So, let’s move out of first gear and get to work – here’s to driving a sustainable future.