A survey was taken by RICS Europe surveyors, and the results were shocking: One in five believe that by 2020, 90% of global commercial real estate will fall short of meeting environmental standards if no green initiatives are implemented.

This means that governments around the world will be faced with drafting drastic real estate plans and putting them into action. Although there’s a general view that new buildings are meeting better standards, much change is needed. RICS believes that the top priority over the next decade is to incentivise the refurbishment of existing stock.

This will change how French property investors view the value of French commercial properties. There will be an increased concern about whether the properties meet these sustainability standards, especially if they are interested in investing in the property for years to come.

Recent figures show that sales of previously owned properties in the United States dropped a record 30% in May 2010, far more than expected. A tax break that was withdrawn at the end of April was designed to boost sales, and only a 12% decrease in real estate sales was expected. The National Association of Realtors has stated that its Pending Home Sales Index, which is based on the number of contracts signed, fell to a record low 77.6 in May from 110.9 in April. More decreases in U.S. sales are expected for the rest of the year.