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396 Decarbonizing Real Estate: Christopher Naismith from Audette on Turning Buildings into Financial Engines

Author

Charlie Cichetti
September 05, 2025

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Most commercial buildings are controlled by 200 global logos—and the way they’re financed makes decarbonization almost impossible. Christopher and his team at Audette are flipping that script, proving sustainability and ROI can—and must—go hand in hand.

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🌱BREAKING DOWN TRADITIONAL BUILDING

In this episode, Christopher helps some of the world’s largest portfolios cut emissions approache:
[Key Insight #1] Real estate finance is the real barrier to decarbonization

  • What's outdated: Property owners avoid upgrades because they eat into short-term profits.

  • The innovation: Audette models both physical systems and financial ownership structures to reveal where decarbonization adds long-term value.

  • Impact: Turns sustainability from a cost center into a proven value-driver.

[Key Insight #2] AI makes the “my building is special” excuse obsolete

  • What's outdated: Operators claim buildings are too unique to standardize solutions.

  • The innovation: Audette uses AI and machine learning to pre-model millions of buildings, identify retrofit patterns, and predict energy use.

  • Impact: Portfolio owners get audit-level insights instantly, accelerating retrofit adoption at scale.

[Key Insight #3] Stability sells

  • What's outdated: ESG has become politicized, and many owners fear added costs.

  • The innovation: Reframe sustainability as modernization and risk management—keeping operating costs predictable and assets resilient.

  • Impact: Attracts tenants, protects asset value, and opens new revenue streams from grid participation and resilience.

♻️ YOUR GREEN BUILD CHALLENGE

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