Marla Thalheimer, senior director, business engagement at the Institute for Market Transformation (IMT), participated in a video interview at Nareit’s REITworks: 2023 Conference in Las Vegas on June 28-29.
Thalheimer said the goal of IMT, a national nonprofit, is to drive demand for high-performance buildings that are efficient, resilient, healthy, and equitable. “We believe that buildings can be part of the solution to climate change.”
She also discussed the evolution of green leasing, noting that IMT’s Green Lease Leaders program, run in conjunction with the Department of Energy, will mark its 10 th year in 2024. The common thread throughout the past decade has been about owner and tenant collaboration, she noted. In the early days it was about basic clauses covering data sharing, for example. Ten years later, the lease is an important tool for companies to meet their ESG goals.
Thalheimer added that performance-based leasing is all about “getting our buildings to the next level.” She also noted that previously, green lease language was just for offices, whereas now it’s used for a range of property sectors.