HAMBURG, GERMANY-Property investors in Europe are increasinglyinvesting in sustainable buildings, and these are likely to accountfor a much higher proportion of professional European investmentportfolios in the medium term, says locally-based Union InvestmentReal Estate.

As well as developing new green buildings, refurbishing existingbuildings with a strong focus on sustainability is an emergingtrend. Its latest study showed that 64% of surveyed companies haveembedded sustainability criteria into their real estate investmentstrategy.

Despite turbulence in property investment caused by thefinancial and economic crisis, interest in sustainable buildingremains high. Some 62% of investors plan to allocate significantlymore to green buildings in future, and French investors inparticular are extremely committed. Some 55% of all respondentsintend to invest in developing new green buildings during the next12 months, while 52% expect to update or refurbish existingholdings soon along sustainable lines. It is telling that some 50%of investors surveyed consider sustainable real estate investmentto be part of corporate social responsibility. This view isespecially pronounced among UK investors, at nearly 60%." Comparedto the last survey, there is evidence that investors are now moreaware of the economic opportunities associated with sustainablebuilding," said Union Investment Chairman Reinhard Kutscher.