DePaul’s Susanne Cannon and Ujjval Vyas of the Alberti Group, who spearheaded the production of the issue, note the following in their introduction:

Most would probably agree that sustainability is a truly laudable and challenging goal to set for ourselves, and fully worthy of our best efforts. As importantly, our efforts must be guided by serious engagement with the many complexities of realizing this goal. The articles included in this issue of Real Estate Issues illustrate the importance of introducing risk into the sustainability equation so that decision-makers can proactively manage it. By recognizing and managing the risks, we can achieve a positive outcome while hopefully minimizing our post-decision regrets.

This issue is designed to be a resource for professionals and stakeholders involved in the decision-making process for the delivery of sustainable buildings: real estate professionals; insurance and surety professionals; risk managers; government representatives; design professionals; contractors and project managers; pension fund managers; lenders and financial institution executives; attorneys; and consultants.

I encourage you to download a copy of the issue by clicking here and review it at your leisure. Please feel free to contact me if you have any difficulties with the .pdf or require assistance in tracking down contact information for any of the authors. Again, many thanks to Carol Scherf, the DePaul University Real Estate Center, and the Counselors of Real Estate for allowing me to upload this important work into GRELJ. A list of the authors and papers that constitute the issue are listed below for your reference.

• Shifting the Sustainability Paradigm: From Advocacy to Good Business (Ujjval K. Vyas & Susanne E. Cannon)
• Weather-Related Losses in the Built Environment: Societal Change and Climate Change (Roger Pielke, Jr.)
• Selling and Governing the Green Project: Owner Risks in Marketing, Entitlement and Project Governance (Paul D’Arelli, Esq.)
• Greening the Standard of Care: Evolving Legal Standards of Practice for the Architect in a Sustainable World (Frederick F. Butters, FAIA, Esq.)
• Trust, but Verify: Building Enclosure Commissioning in Sustainable Design (Daniel J. Lemieux, AIA)
• Expanding the Principles of Performance to Sustainable Buildings (James E. Woods, Ph.D., P.E.)
• Sustainable Buildings and the Surety (Bryan M. Seifert, Esq.)
• Legal Issues Arising Out Of Green Building Legislation (Stephen T. Del Percio, Esq.)
• Energy Performance in Residential Green Developments: A Florida Case Study (Pierce Jones, Ph.D., & Ujjval K. Vyas, Ph.D., J.D.)
• Green Building Representations and the Emerging Potential for Securities Fraud Liability (Brian D. Anderson, Esq.)
• Blinded by the (Green) Light: The Rise of Environmentalism and a New Vocabulary- Four Perspectives (Richard Shields)