Selling private carbon: or how the real estate industry can learn to love carbon markets (RICS)

Published April 2010

Real estate is one of the largest contributors to the emission of greenhouse gasses and yet the industry is only just starting to appreciate the role that it can play in responding to this. One key way in which it can do so is by participating in carbon offset markets, where the financial benefits can be significant.

Using the USA real estate market as a case study, the relationship between investment decisions based solely on electricity prices, as compared to one that incorporates the monetary benefit associated with carbon offsets is examined.