Sustainability remains high on agenda: RICS

Sustainability remains high on the agenda despite the worsening economic climate, according to the latest global property sustainability survey, released by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

Around 40% of respondents believed that sustainability is a more important issue for their clients now than it was this time last year, whilst 50% felt it was just as important. Under a tenth of those responding felt that it was less of an issue for their clients.

In the UK, 33% of property professionals questioned saw sustainability as important, whilst only 17% viewed it as unimportant. Energy supply/efficiency was cited as the most important issue, by 28% of respondents. Transport issues were close behind with 22% of respondents citing this category followed closely by overconsumption of natural resources (19%).