PORTLAND, OR. — Green is here to stay, even though many real estate professionals view "sustainability" and "green" with caution and skepticism. "What does 'sustainability' mean?" they ask. "How much is this going to cost me?" "Will I ever get a return on my investment?" "Won't this lead to more regulations?"

BOMA International, an association of building owners and managers dedicated to improving the commercial real estate industry through education, advocacy, and research, observed in its March/April 2007 magazine:

"An informal survey of BOMA's membership taken last fall shows that BOMA is already going green: 72 percent of respondents agree that global warming is a serious problem, 67 percent believe that within the next five years tenant demand will be a strong enough driver to influence their company's decision to 'go green,' and 61 percent believe that green buildings enhance their corporate image. "

BOMA recently launched its Green Resource Energy and Environment Network (GREEN) program to help its members understand the benefits of "green" building construction and operational practices, promote energy efficiency and management, and implement "green" building design.

BOMA's board has identified energy and sustainability as policy issues. It encourages real estate owners and managers to take active roles in implementing responsible consumption practices that are environmentally and economically sustainable. But BOMA opposes government regulations that would mandate green building compliance unless corresponding and commensurate incentives are available.

The National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) is the nation's leading trade association for professionals in industrial, office and mixed-use commercial real estate.

Its Web site notes: "Green building and development projects will increase 30 percent per year during the next five years, making them one of the major development trends in our industry. "

NAIOP has developed a Green Resource Center for its members. It contains a list of publications and industry links that focus on green issues related to building design and construction, site selection, project scheduling and financial matters.

Like BOMA, NAIOP is committed to practices and policies that reward voluntary energy conservation and fossil fuel reduction.

A recent issue of the Journal of Property Management observed that the number of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified, new construction projects in the United States and Canada rose sharply to 485 in 2006 from just 38 in 2000 as conserving energy and "going green" became industry buzzes.

The Institute for Real Estate Management (IREM) supports "positive incentives for conservation activities such as energy tax credits and an increased emphasis on energy efficient technology by the nation's building industry. " It also supports legislation that encourages voluntary energy efficiency improvements to buildings (tax credits for energy efficiency expenditures, tax deductions for energy management devices). As is the case with BOMA and NAIOP, IREM opposes standards that would mandate building energy conservation.

The commercial real estate industry is embracing "green," "sustainability" and "eco-friendliness" in practice and by involvement in the issues these movements raise and promote. Real estate professionals need to keep up with these issues, the ways they are addressed and the ways they become part of our law.