Green Leases for Sustainability Practitioners: A Plain-English Guide to Getting Started.
Everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask. Taught by a climate lawyer and sustainability practitioner.
Building Performance Standards make owners responsible for the performance of the whole building, including tenant spaces they don't control. The lease is what connects the two. This self-paced online course explains how green leases can support decarbonization, compliance, and better owner-tenant collaboration.
What you'll learn
How Building Performance Standards (BPS) affect leases, and why "compliance with all laws" clauses fall short
Who pays: lease types, the Split Incentive, cost recovery clauses, and penalty pass-throughs
How to handle tenant data, energy budgets, access, and subtenants
How "Green Default" provisions resolve performance issues before they become disputes
How green leases fit with LEED v5, Green Lease Leaders, GRESB, BREEAM, WELL, and Fitwel
How to review a lease for sustainability, and when to bring in legal counsel
Who this green lease course is for
Sustainability consultants, property and asset managers, owners, tenants, brokers, architects, and other real estate professionals who need to understand, shape, or advocate for lease terms that support sustainability. Bonus lessons cover the tenant perspective and multifamily buildings.
Your instructor
Nicole DeNamur is a climate lawyer who speaks fluent sustainability. She holds WELL AP and Faculty, LEED Green Associate, Fitwel Ambassador, and LFA credentials, teaches sustainable development at the University of Washington, and serves on the Green Lease Leaders Advisory Committee.
Course details
Self-paced and online · About 2 to 4 hours · $249 · 14-day money-back guarantee · Group pricing available for teams
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a legal background? No. The course is designed for non-lawyers and explains legal terms in plain English.
How long does it take? Most people finish in 2 to 4 hours, at their own pace.
Can my team take it together? Yes. Group pricing is available. Email nicole@sustainablestrategiespllc.com.
Can I earn continuing education hours? LEED credential holders may be able to self-report the course as general CE hours under GBCI's credential maintenance rules. Check your credential's current requirements.
Is this legal advice? No. The course is educational and informational only and does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Modules:
Why Leases are the unsung heroes of decarbonization
Leases 101 (for non-lawyers)
How regulations (in the US) intersect with leases
Show me the money: the split incentive and who pays
Penalties, penalties, penalties
Data, metering, and energy budgets
Lions and tigers and subtenants, oh my!
Certifications and market drivers
How to build a green, performance based lease
Putting it all together
Bonus: notes for tenants
Bonus: notes for multi-family