A New Agenda for Sustainability

Citation

Warren, C.M.J. (2011), "A New Agenda for Sustainability", Property Management, Vol. 29 No. 2, pp. 216-216. https://doi.org/10.1108/pm.2011.29.2.216.2

This is the second book relating to sustainability to be reviewed in this issue of the journal. When I first looked at this text as one that might be reviewed for the journal, I wondered if it would have much relevance to our readers as the text focuses on a range of environmental aspects with no specific discussion of the role of property assets in a broader sustainability agenda. Having read the book, however, I found it has a great many insights for those researching in the area of built environment sustainability and green building.

The book is edited by four academic researchers in Denmark, with chapter contributions by a range of authors. The content arose out of a conference in 2007 held at Roskilde University, Department of Environment, Social and Spatial Change, with the papers having subsequently been edited and revised. While the preface states that the department is interdisciplinary and deals with nearly all aspects of sustainability, including economic, there is the obvious gap in dealing with the built environment as a major factor in contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and a very significant consumer of energy. The content is divided into two distinct parts. The first deals with the philosophical and ethical issues pertaining to sustainability. Chapter 1, in particular, provides a very interesting discussion as to what constitutes sustainability, how this relates to the natural rhythms in the environment and how our daily lives do not fit comfortably into a sustainable model. I particularly enjoyed chapter three where there was a somewhat detailed discussion of the Faeroese Island land use system in the thirteenth century and the regulation of sheep grazing for the community. This I found reminiscent of Garrett Hardin's highly acclaimed 1968 paper, “The tragedy of the commons”, as it reflects the problems of reaching agreement among multiple parties with competing interests but a common goal. Perhaps there is a lesson here for those negotiators that will attend COP17 in Durban later this year.

The second part of the book is dedicated to sustainable development as a strategic field of focus. It deals with the planning process and with delivering sustainability in a range of industries from agriculture to chemical manufacture. Of particular interest to property managers is chapter 9 where the economic analysis of sustainable development is addressed and shows the need to strike a balance between the cost and the environmental and sustainable gains achieved.

While this book is not specific to our area of research and practice, I found that there are many aspects that resonate with the papers presented at real estate conferences. I think it is important to step out of our narrow field of interest occasionally and read from the wider research pertaining to sustainable development, for that reason, I would recommend that you consider looking at this book.