MPs met recently to begin discussions on environmental issues surrounding existing commercial properties.

The All Party Urban Development Group is the first parliamentary inquiry into what can be done to lesson the environmental impact of commercial properties. Currently, commercial property contributes approximately 5% of the countr y’s ies’ carbon emissions. Business leaders have previously called for evidence of the financial impact and the cost to benefit ratio for any of the proposed changes. There is expected to be calls for a Government incentive scheme to help with the costs of making properties greener. Those appearing before the inquiry have welcomed the chance to put forward the business perspective and to have a forum where the ir re concerns can be heard.

James Rae, chief executive of the Consensus Environmental Real Estate Team (CERET), welcomed the inquiry, he said : “Any enquiry into the ‘greening’ of commercial property has to be a good thing. More questions mean more answers on how to solve the issues that we face. Only through debate can we come to a sensible decision. This is in fact the most important issue facing mankind at the moment.”

The report is due out in July 2008.