1. WILL THIS BE TOMORROW?
Christchurch, September 2020
It has been ten years since the first earthquakes struck Christchurch, and from that devastation the city
has become internationally acknowledged as being one of the most green and sustainable cities in the
world. This evolution was initially driven by the business community and was enthusiastically embraced by
the citizens of Christchurch before both local and central governments endorsed and then actively
supported this move.
Commercial buildings in Christchurch are internationally acknowledged to be amongst the best in the
world for energy efficiency, extremely low embedded and ongoing environmental impact and carbon
output, aesthetic appeal, health and safety. Despite this, they are also amongst the most economical to
build in the world through the use of innovative design and construction technologies. This has carried
through to extremely low operational costs thanks to widespread adoption of concepts such as the Passive
House Standard and through harvesting light and heat as well as widespread use of electricity generated
on-site with solar and wind technologies.
Tenants love these new buildings and are willing to pay a premium because their employees are happier,
more productive and have less time off through sickness or injuries. Their customers and clients enjoy
coming to these new buildings which gives them a market advantage and their low embedded and
ongoing carbon footprint is translated into more sales, lower taxes and greater resilience. It's easier for
them to achieve all of their sustainability goals which they can demonstrate in their mandatory
sustainability reports. As a result, owners and landlords who didn't initially participate in these new
building strategies find they have to retro-fit their existing properties in order to avoid lower rents and
difficulty attracting and retaining tenants.
Business systems in Christchurch are now near-universally driven by sustainability parameters which
means business owners are enjoying improved financial stability and stronger overall resilience along with
greater reported happiness and satisfaction. Local exporters and manufacturers experience a major
advantage in all of their markets which as a result of the worldwide demand for anything branded "Made
in Sustainable Otautahi Christchurch". This means Christchurch has one of the lowest unemployment rates
in the developed world along with consistently higher wages than anywhere else in New Zealand. As a
result the city retains a very high percentage of young people, especially graduates, and is a magnet for
entrepreneurs, innovators and thinkers.
The low unemployment is combined with excellent well-funded social services and a vibrant arts and
leisure scene resulting in a strong sense of community and civic pride. This is reflected by lower than
average crime rates, high levels of attendance at schools and poverty is now rarely encountered. Hospitals
and doctors report a significant drop in illnesses, especially where lifestyle is a factor, such as diabetes or
heart attacks. This is in part because the technologies that mean it's easy and affordable to build green
business buildings have also been widely used in residential housing. As a result, Christchurch houses are
not only known for being warmer, drier and more comfortable; they're also more affordable which means
more Cantabrians own their own homes than any other city in New Zealand.