“Sustainable and resilient cities are crucial for the future of the urban, built environment and for the well-being of our natural habitats. The entire design team–that is to say all stakeholders – are tasked with continuing efforts to minimize, reduce and ultimately eliminate the negative impact a building may have on the environment. Additionally, when we build, we must build with purpose to create cities that are desirable and enjoyable places that people want to call home. Only then can a city be resilient, lasting, stable and sustainable.”
Chris Lepine
Associate Director, Zaha Hadid Architects
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“Climate change is a global challenge that the hospitality industry must also address. Rising carbon emissions are accelerating climate change with considerable impact across the hospitality sector; extreme weather events increase the cost of operations whilst simultaneously decreasing the value of a destination.”
“The landmark ‘Paris Agreement’ and the UN ‘Sustainable Development Goals’ of 2015 provide both a framework and an urgent call to action against building-related emissions. The ‘Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment’ by the World Green Building Council, states that all new buildings must be net zero carbon by 2030 and all existing buildings by 2050, in order to decarbonize the construction sector in line with the ‘Paris Agreement’. The focus of both the real estate and hospitality sectors is essential in building sustainable and resilient cities around the globe.”
Debra Sivertsen
General Manager, Radisson Blu Iveria Tbilisi Hotel
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“The majority of the world’s future population will live in urban areas, so sustainable development is a call to action forall countries – developed or developing – to formulate strategies to build economic growth, address social needs (such as education, health and social protection), provide job opportunities and better transport links, combat climate change, protect the environment, manage resources effectively(like water and energy), advance science and technology, as well as create social cohesion and equal opportunities.”
“Resilient cities should be positioned to protect and enhance people’s lives, prevent natural and man-made disasters, absorb the impact of economic, environmental and social hazards, as well as promote well-being, inclusive and sustainable growth, secure development gains, foster an investible environment and drive positive change through government policies that push for resilient urban areas.
“FIABCI is going to engage with local, regional and national governments, as well as partners, communities of practice and residents to raise awareness about the importance of resilient cities and inspire action for building more sustainable cities.”
Vanessa De Souza
Vice-President, FIABCI India
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“The rapid economic and social change – clearly visible in emerging economies – is manifested by the increasing number of people moving to urban areas. Fast-growing cities will present a wider range of critical pressure on a number of stakeholders, including central and local governments, development companies and investment funds, as well as NGOs, social activists and other citizen representatives to jointly introduce sustainable development initiatives that will have major implications on real estate investment. At PwC, we are proud to be actively involved in supporting different stakeholders in designing sustainable patterns of integrated urban development and transform everyday lives. The main purpose of PwC is to build trust in society and solve important problems such as these.”
“International forums like this can certainly act as a catalyst for building more sustainable and more resilient cities through knowledge sharing and collaboration; we are looking forward to this event.”
Krzysztof Sakierski,
Director in the Real Estate Team, PwC (Poland)
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“Today the whole world is embracing the change toward sustainability. But we still need to take huge steps to reach a satisfied level.”
“In my opinion, sustainability is about sustainable schools, healthcare, people, the environment, and businesses. We should all try to minimize waste, energy, air and water pollution.”
“I’m very lucky to live in a beautiful city like Barcelona that cares about this subject. We are proud to say that today more than 1,000 organizations are committed to a responsible city where all the inhabitants are trying their best to adopt these new ways of life.”
Felice Tufano
CEO Proyecto Casa
FIABCI International Marketing & Networking Committee
International coordinator of FIABCI Spain
President of Apialia Gaudi
COAPI joint committee
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“Real estate and hospitality are one of the most dynamic sectors of Georgian economy. The 2004 to 2007 boom years were the catalyst for real estate development in Georgia as modern residential, retail and office facilities started to emerge, while the tourism boom from 2013 further lifted demand. We expect that demand for both residential and tourism facilities will increase in the coming years, driven by healthy demand fundamentals. We also see that the supply side is gradually capturing market characteristics, driven by the changing lifestyle of locals and the need to improve the quality of tourist services. Consequently, the next phase of real estate development in Georgia requires application of modern standards in construction and development.”
Eva Bochorishvili
Head of Research, Galt & Taggart
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“To build sustainable and resilient cities we need to implement a holistic approach to urban planning and development. A greener real estate sector, including energy efficiency in buildings, reducing the environmental impact of buildings, which in turn will increase the quality of life of people.”
“The good news is that our country has committed itself to joining the European Energy Union in accordance with the relevant EU directive that was signed into Georgian law. The directive on ‘Energy Efficiency of Buildings’ aims to help increase energy efficiency in buildings, which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as have many other positive effects, such as creating jobs in the construction sector, development of technology, reducing air, water and soil pollution, improve health and comfort of the population as well as reduce energy consumption costs. This initiative has ambition to overcome sustainability-driven challenges in the real estate sector and construct new buildings in Georgia with zero-energy by 2028.”
Lika Kardava
Founder and Managing Partner of Property Georgia
Co-founder of FIABCI Georgia
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“Today, more than half of the world’s population lives in urban areas. Considering urbanization growth, building sustainable and resilient cities is key to successful development. Sustainable urban development and resilient cities is a top priority for FIABCI Georgia and Property Georgia. To this regard, we have a strong support from FIABCI. Within the framework of the ‘New Urban Agenda’ and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UN-Habitat and FIABCI are cooperating for the implementation of the City Prosperity Initiative (CPI). The objective of CPI is to assess sustainable urban development of cities.It’s also important to mention that FIABCI published a book ‘The City We Need is Affordable’. The book features large scale affordable housing developments from around the world.”
“Sustainable cities mean efficient transportation, taking care of the environment, affordable housing and lots of other components that overall improve quality of life. FIABCI brings together professionals from the real estate industry to share innovative solutions for better cities.”
Kate Tabatadze
President of FIABCI Georgia
Managing Partner of Property Georgia
