Arthaland renews call for building green at the inaugural Net Zero Conference

Arthaland, the country’s foremost green developer, once again encouraged developers to focus on sustainable real estate projects as building green works. The call was made by Arthaland Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer Oliver Chan during one of the breakout sessions of the inaugural Net Zero Conference organized by the Net Zero Carbon Alliance (NZCA) and Eco-Business. The Net Zero Conference is an annual flagship event that gathers policy leaders, financial institutions, businesses, and stakeholders to discuss strategies necessary for unlocking new economic opportunities and, in doing so, guide the Philippines’ private sector toward a meaningful, equitable, and sustainable net zero transformation.

Mr. Chan talked about how Arthaland, right from the start, was committed to building sustainably and responsibly to contribute to a healthier and better future for all. Since then, it has been very successful in leading the green building charge with many firsts. Its two-tower luxury green condominium in Bonifacio Global City, Arya Residences, is the first and only residential building in the country to receive dual certification comprising of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification and the Building for Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence (BERDE) 4-star certification while its flagship multi-certified office development, Arthaland Century Pacific Tower, is the world’s first EDGE Zero Carbon certified project.   

To allay apprehensions, Arthaland’s experience has shown that building green is neither harder nor more expensive.

“If you really understand what sustainability is and the different factors that would help you get to that eventual net zero goal, you will find that just by understanding it there are replacements. It does not mean it is automatically more expensive, you just need to know how to do it,” said Mr. Chan. 

Arthaland has learned to operate more efficiently to counterbalance the upfront costs for sustainability which generally stand at an additional 7% to 12%. According to Mr. Chan, building sustainably has resulted in many loyal and returning customers as he gave an example about one of their buyers who was ecstatic about the huge savings in utilities after having moved from a 200 square meter condominium paying an average of Php30,000 per month in electricity bills to a 400 square meter sustainable Arthaland condominium and only paying Php20,000 per month in electricity bills. Similar experiences have produced customers who are always on the lookout to invest in any Arthaland project. 

When specifically asked by the moderator on how he would entice other developers to follow suit, Mr. Chan said the best way is by asking them to look at the future generation. The younger generation is keener on sustainability, and he goes on to tell the story about a teenager who, during one of their sales calls, was the one trying to convince her parents to live in Arthaland’s Sevina Park community in Biñan, Laguna, as she wants to enjoy the benefits of a sustainable lifestyle. 

But apart from the long-term benefits, there are immediate returns, especially in the commercial sector. One of the country’s leading call centers chose to locate in Arthaland’s Cebu Exchange, the largest green-certified office building in the Philippines, as it was the only development in Cebu City to fit the qualifications mandated by their global headquarters. This sent a powerful signal in the industry as non-green developments face the prospect of not even being able to pre-qualify when faced with parallel requirements.   

“At the end of the day, we just need to show them that it is possible. We are not the largest; in fact, we call ourselves boutique property developer, but if we can do it, why not them,” ends Mr. Chan. 

ARTHALAND is the only real estate developer in the Philippines with a residential and commercial portfolio 100% certified as sustainable by local and global organizations. It has made its mark in the Philippine real estate industry by pioneering the development and management of exceptional best-in-class properties that adhere to international and local standards. 

For more information about Arthaland, visit www.arthaland.com