Sustainability as an investment: Why Lithuanian developers are thinking green more often

When SIRIN Development employees at the Dobrovolė logistics park began preparing the site for new construction, they faced a dilemma familiar to many developers: what to do with 20 old pine trees that stood in the way of expansion. The traditional solution would have been to cut them down. Instead, the company chose another path—preserving and transplanting the trees into the future park’s green spaces for the benefit of its clients.

This decision may seem small, but it likely reflects a broader transformation: a real estate market that for years prioritized speed, cost, and efficiency is now increasingly choosing sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions.

The Origins of the idea: A concept years in the making

“The idea of preserving the trees emerged even before the design stage—we considered how the pines could be an advantage rather than an obstacle. A newly planted tree takes 20–30 years to create value, while a mature tree has it today, so we decided to protect and integrate them into leisure zones,” explains Valdas Jalmokas, Sustainability Project Manager at SIRIN Development.

According to him, the company manages 250 hectares of land, of which 100 hectares are occupied by buildings, while 20 percent is left untouched—areas rich with vegetation, providing natural shelter and recreation opportunities. Clients of the logistics parks enjoy a dual benefit: a nearby green zone that requires no maintenance, offers shade, and absorbs rainwater. Park employees also benefit from having green leisure areas close to their workplaces.

This approach brings Lithuania closer to Western European logistics park standards. In Poland, Germany, and the Netherlands, various recreational and green infrastructure solutions are common—green facades on warehouses, permeable surfaces in parking areas that allow grass to grow. The Dobrovolė project follows these best practices, demonstrating that such ideas can be implemented in Lithuania as well.

As Jalmokas notes, tenants of logistics parks increasingly pay attention to whether buildings have renewable energy sources, automated water, heating, and ventilation systems, and integrated green energy solutions. Today, there is also greater emphasis on employee well-being—green and recreational spaces, natural light, comfort, and convenience.

“The idea that industrial zones can be both environmentally and human-friendly took a long time to mature but became fully embedded in the company’s approach over our 15 years of operations. Today, it’s part of our daily work—every new project involves consultations with sustainability experts, architects, landscape designers, and arborists,” says Jalmokas. Moreover, because sustainability is integral to the business, nearly the entire team is engaged in environmental initiatives.

Ecology that pays dividends

Biophilic design—a concept that gained momentum after the 2019 pandemic—focuses on integrating natural elements into living and working environments. According to the UK’s Health and Safety Executive 2025 guidelines, greenery, plants, and natural light positively influence employees’ mental and physical well-being, creativity, and productivity.

“Preserving green environments has not only emotional but also clear economic logic. It increases asset value, improves employee well-being and productivity, and creates a more attractive environment for clients who increasingly value sustainability,” Jalmokas emphasizes.

A study by Georgetown University in the U.S. found that greener, more sustainable buildings have about 7% higher value than conventional ones. A similar study in Portugal in 2024 showed that such buildings achieve a 9.54% higher sales value and even a 12.1% premium when leased.

“Sustainable buildings are an investment in the future and in the people working there. Investors and tenants recognize that these solutions are not just a trend, but a way of doing business that ultimately delivers returns,” Jalmokas adds.

Change and vision for the Baltic Region

According to Jalmokas, SIRIN Development is consistently developing sustainable and eco-friendly logistics parks not only in Lithuania but also in Latvia and Estonia. This year alone, new SIRIN logistics parks were opened in Tallinn, Riga, and Kaunas.

In its parks, the company installs solar power plants with capacities of up to 60 MW. These meet as much as 80% of annual building electricity needs, with over 52% of the energy consumed directly, reducing dependence on external sources. All additional electricity is purchased exclusively from renewable sources.

“Currently, in our managed parks, we are developing green zones, planning green facades, and creating natural meadows at the edges of green areas—all to harmonize human activity with the natural landscape,” Jalmokas explains. He adds that modern, green logistics parks with rooftop solar panels and smart technologies are no longer a vision of the future but today’s reality.

So far, solar power plants in SIRIN Development logistics parks have generated 2,400 MWh of green energy. For comparison, this equates to avoiding 962 tons of extracted coal and reducing CO₂ emissions by 2,375 tons—the same amount typically emitted annually by about 500 cars.