CEO of TÜV SÜD Real Estate and Infrastructure Division shared his view on the relationship between sustainability and the building sector

Mr. Joachim Birnthaler , CEO of TÜV SÜD Real Estate and Infrastructure Division, shared his view on the relationship between sustainability and the building sector by answering 3 commonly asked questions.

Question 1: Why does TÜV SÜD stand for sustainability?

Mr. Birnthaler: Climate change is a global challenge. TÜV SÜD believes in striking a balance between technological development and sustainability through and beyond the law and regulatory compliance.

Many regulations and legislation such as EU taxonomy rules which require transparency and technical competency across different trades. And this is exactly our role as independent life cycle partner on the decarbonisation pathway.

Question 2: Why is sustainability important to the building sector from a business perspective?

Mr. Birnthaler: Existing building infrastructure generates more than a quarter of annual global CO2 emission.

Therefore, it is impossible to achieve sustainability goals without considering the building sectors.

Approximately 2/3 of all existing buildings will still exist in 2040. However, 97 percent of these buildings will not achieve the 2050 decarbonisation goals as they are not designed, built or operated based on these requirements. This calls for a large-scale renovation.

With EU Green Deal, especially the taxonomy regulation, Real Estate investors will be obliged to report energy consumption and CO2 emission of the buildings to attract investments. This demands transparency for the first time in the construction industry and has far-reaching effects on investors, property owners and the biggest of all, the finance sector. Investors who are neglecting these sustainability requirements will significantly lose out.

In parallel, corporates are feeling the pressure from society to mitigate the environmental impacts of their business operations. There are news of large international players outdoing each other in achieving the sustainability goals. This creates a competition which goes beyond the regulations. Business which cannot keep up with the dynamic process will lose value or require over-proportional investments.

Question 3: What differentiates TÜV SÜD from other companies when it comes to sustainability in the building sector?

Mr, Birnthaler: TÜV SÜD has a unique position which stems from our time-tested approach as a neutral third party, combining domain expertise with technology competences in a trustful relationship with our international clients.

Every building is constructed differently and adjusted over its lifetime based on the usage, so is the green building journey. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. TÜV SÜD can accompany every step of the decarbonisation roadmap from day 1 of the design phase till the demolition phase.

Our Real Estate services are designed to guide our customers to make smart and sustainable investment decisions. We consider latest technological advances, leverage on the knowledge gained through the entire building lifecycle and, most of all, our exceptional expertise across all relevant building domains. And these greatly differentiate us from the other companies.