Humans 'using one and a half planets' worth of resources' and will need two Earths by 2030 | Mail Online

Humans 'using one and a half planets' worth of resources' and will need two Earths by 2030 Mail Online

Human demands on natural resources have doubled in under 50 years and are now outstripping what the Earth can provide by more than half, a new report has warned.
And humanity carries on as it is in use of resources, globally it will need the capacity of two Earths by 2030, the biennial Living Planet Report said.
Wildlife in tropical countries is also under huge pressure, with populations of species falling by 60 per cent in three decades.
And the report, from the WWF, the Zoological Society of London and the Global Footprint Network, said British people are still consuming far more than the Earth can cope with.






If everyone lived such a lifestyle, humans would need 2.75 planets to survive, it warned.
The world's people are now living lifestyles which would require one and a half planets to sustain, though there are significant differences between rich and poor nations.
The study's authors looked at 8,000 populations of 2,500 species and studied the change in land use and water consumption across the globe.
The UK comes 31st in a list of countries based on their 'ecological footprint' - the amount of land and sea each person needs to provide the food, clothes and other products they consume and to absorb the carbon dioxide they emit.
The country has fallen down the league table from having the 15th biggest footprint in the last report two years ago, but WWF attributes this to an increase in other countries' impact rather than a reduction in the UK's use of resources.


Ireland has the 10th highest ecological footprint in the world, while the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Denmark, Belgium and the US are the five worst countries for over-consumption of resources.
Much of the 'ecological overshoot' is caused by the world's rising carbon footprint, which has increased 11-fold since 1961.
It also carried a warning about the loss of wildlife and ecosystems which people depend on for food, fuel, clean water and other resources - with populations of species declining by 30 per cent worldwide between 1970 and 2007.
In tropical regions the decline is 60 per cent, but populations have recovered by 30% in temperate areas, where more rich countries are found, possibly due to those nations starting from a lower baseline and efforts to tackle pollution, improve air and water quality, increase forests and conserve wildlife.
The steepest declines in wildlife are happening in low-income countries, which the report warns has serious implications for people depending on those ecosystems as they will struggle to break out of poverty without access to clean water, land, adequate food and materials.
The biggest ecological footprint is made by rich countries - on average five times that found in developing nations - suggesting that unsustainable consumption in wealthier countries relies on depleting resources in poorer parts of the world.
The report also looks at how changes in diet and energy sources could affect humanity's ecological impact, for example the pressure put on land for food and forest products.
The study suggests that if the expected global population of 9.2 billion people in 2050 were to eat a typical Malaysian diet, we would need 1.3 planets to sustain us but if everyone were to eat an Italian diet, humanity would need closer to two planets.
The report is released ahead of international talks in Nagoya, Japan, next week, which aim to address losses in biodiversity - species and ecosystems - being seen around the world.
David Nussbaum, chief executive of WWF-UK said: 'The loss of biodiversity and habitats undermines the natural systems upon which we depend for the food we eat, the air we breathe and the stable climate we need.


'The depletion of natural resources caused by human consumption also poses risks to our economic security: for instance, scarcity of resources and degraded natural systems will increase the price of food, raw materials and other commodities.'

He urged action by the Government, businesses and people in the UK to 'fundamentally rethink our relationship with the planet'.
He said: 'This report shows that we need a new green economy which assigns genuine value to the benefits we get from nature: biodiversity, the natural systems which provide goods and services like water, and ultimately our own well-being.
'The new coalition Government can take a lead by putting green investment and real sustainability at the heart of its decision-making.'
Mathis Wackernagel, president of the Global Footprint Network, which has developed the ecological footprint measure, said: 'Countries that maintain high levels of resource dependence are putting their own economies at risk.
'Those countries that are able to provide the highest quality of life on the lowest amount of ecological demand will not only serve the global interest, they will be the leaders in a resource-constrained world.'

German Fund Behind Year's Biggest Spanish Property Purchase

German Fund Behind Year's Biggest Spanish Property Purchase Wants More

By Simon Packard - Oct 15, 2010 11:37 AM GMT+0200  - Bloomberg Agency

The German real estate fund manager that completed Spain’s biggest property purchase this year plans further acquisitions in the country to take advantage of lower prices.
“It’s a very good point in time to go for those really good properties in Madrid or Barcelona that we were never able to obtain in the past four years or so,” said Matthias Danne, the DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale management board member who heads its property-fund arm. “We are working on Spain.”
Prime office values in Spain’s two largest cities have fallen since mid-2007 after the financial crisis plunged the economy into its worst slump in 60 years. The slide, combined with a slower decline in rents, meant that rental income as a proportion of the price rose by about 2 percentage points to 6 percent, according to property adviser Jones Lang LaSalle Inc.
DekaBank’s Deka Immobilien, Germany’s largest real-estate mutual fund manager, acquired an office building known as D640 in Barcelona’s financial district for 145 million euros ($202 million) in August and bought Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA’s main office in the same city in 2009 for 82 million euros. The property was leased back to the bank.
Prices for prime offices in the two Spanish cities have fallen about 35 percent from their peak, while rents are down about 27 percent from mid-2008, according to Madrid-based broker Aguirre Newman SA.
The deals in Spain and January’s 36 million-euro purchase of a distribution center in Prague show that Frankfurt-based Deka Immobilien is prepared to invest in less liquid markets for the right property, Danne said.
Poland ‘Attractive’
“We’re also looking at Poland, where we already have a significant portfolio,” Danne said in an interview last week at Munich’s annual Expo Real property trade fair. “Maybe there are one or two further deals there that might be attractive.”
Most purchases in Europe this year have been in the largest markets such as France, the Netherlands and the U.K. Germany has been less of a target because Deka has ample investments there, Danne said.
The fund focuses on properties that deliver reliable rental income for its investors, targeting the highest quality buildings in prime locations with tenants on long leases. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and Caja Madrid, Spain’s second- largest savings bank, are tenants at D640 in Barcelona.
Deka Immobilien is owned by Germany’s regional savings banks, which drive sales of the four mutual property funds that it runs. The funds attracted a net 1.25 billion euros in the first eight months of the year, according to Frankfurt-based BVI Bundesverband Investment & Asset Management.
Cash Rich
As a result, almost 25 percent of the 11 billion-euro Deka- ImmobilienEuropa fund was in cash or equivalents at the end of September.
“It’s a lot of liquidity,” Danne said. “We’re looking to reduce that, if we can find the right kinds of properties.”
He ruled out acquisitions in most of central and eastern Europe and Turkey.
Deka Immobilien sold the City Cronan office complex in Stockholm last month, taking advantage of high prices in what it said was Sweden’s largest single property transaction in at least three years. No price was disclosed.
Office prices in the U.S. are attractive for the 2.5 billion-euro Deka-ImmobilienGlobal fund, chiefly in the five largest cities, Danne said. Last month, the fund bought an office building near New York’s Grand Central Station for the equivalent of 95 million euros.
The same fund also sold an office complex in Seoul for 123 million euros in June -- one of two properties it owns in South Korea -- to take advantage of current prices, Danne said.
Some of the proceeds may be used to buy in Singapore, a market in which Deka Immobilien has been looking to invest “for months,” Danne said. “I’m optimistic that we will be able to do that quickly,” he added.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-10-15/german-fund-behind-year-s-biggest-spanish-property-purchase-wants-more.html

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UK House prices heading for a fall

News source - BBC link:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11515818

House prices heading for a fall, surveyors warn

Prices are likely to fall further due to a shortage of buyers, Rics suggests

House prices are still under downward pressure as sellers outnumber potential buyers, surveys suggest.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) said 44% of its members had seen prices fall in the past three months.
Only 6% reported that prices had risen, while 50% said they had been stable.
Meanwhile, figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders showed that the number of home loans approved for house purchases in August had fallen by 8%.

The CML's figures showed that 51,600 mortgages were approved last month. Although this was down 8% on the previous month, it was still slightly higher (up 3%) on the same period the previous year.

'Correction'
The figures from Rics highlight the picture painted by other recent surveys which have indicated that prices have drifted down in recent months, although new data from the government. also released on Tuesday, found prices had risen by 0.7% in August from the month before.
Rics spokesperson Ian Perry said it was "very much" a buyers' market.
"First-time buyers are in particularly short supply as the high deposits required by lenders prevent them from taking their first steps on the property ladder," he said.
"Without sufficient demand, property prices continue to slip back.
"However, many areas are reporting a correction, rather than dramatic falls in prices, and vendors who are prepared to be realistic with pricing are still able to achieve a sale."
'Tap turned off'
The Rics survey covered only 265 members who work as estate agents.

Round-up of housing statistics

• Sellers are outnumbering buyers which are causing prices to stabilise or fall, says Rics
• Mortgages approved for house purchases fell by 8% in August compared with July, says the CML
• The availability of land is key to future house prices and ownership, say academics
• The average home in the UK costs £213,116, DCLG figures show

But the survey traditionally has its finger on the pulse of the market.

Several respondents pointed to the forthcoming cuts in public spending for undermining the confidence of potential buyers.
"The overall trend is edging towards reductions in property prices, as buyers become increasingly nervous of the economic climate," said Edward Waterson of Carter Jonas in York.
Derek Coates of Venmore in Liverpool was more forthright.
"Government austerity measures coupled with fears of unemployment and a genuine fear that house prices may well fall further is stifling the market," he said.
Other surveyors pointed to the continued effect of widespread mortgage rationing by lenders.

“Start Quote

The problem of excess capital, that led to record lending and borrowing in 2007, has self-corrected and will not return”

Quote Michael Coogan Council of Mortgage Lenders

"The real problem in the market is first-time buyers' inability to obtain mortgages, thus putting a brake on their ambitions to own property," said Stuart Allan of Broadley & Coulson in Bishop Auckland.

Availability
This was backed up by the figures from the CML which showed that lenders advanced 18,300 loans to first-time buyers.
This was 5% down on the previous month and a 3% fall compared with August 2009. However, the typical deposit they have to put down has eased from 24% in July to 21% in August.
Tight credit conditions mean that remortgaging accounted for only 25% of loans advanced in August - the lowest proportion for 10 years. There was also "little incentive for borrowers" to move away from deals with low interest rates.
"August is a traditionally slow month for mortgage lending and it was no different this year. We expect a quiet market to continue for the foreseeable future," said CML director general Michael Coogan.
"With some uncertainty surrounding future house price trends, we would expect a muted market in the next few years. The problem of excess capital, that led to record lending and borrowing in 2007, has self-corrected and will not return."
Land shortage
The availability of land is a key factor in changes to house prices, separate work by researchers at the London School of Economics has found.
Those saving up to buy a house in areas where residential developments were restricted needed larger down-payments relative to their income, the report said.
These people ended up having to save up for longer and bought a home later in life. They might also face higher rental prices in the meantime.
"The research illustrates how constraints on the supply of land can have major implications for household welfare through their effect on house prices and individual home ownership," said Dr Alex Michaelides, who led the research.
The report suggested that relaxing borrowing restraints added to ownership levels, but had little impact on house prices.
The work was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, which is primarily funded by the Department for Business.
Government figures
The government's own house price index, also published on Tuesday, showed a slight rise of 0.7% in UK house prices in August compared with July.
The value of the average home stood at £213,116 in August, according to the Department of Communities and Local Government.
This was 8.3% higher than a year earlier, driven by a 9.3% annual rise in prices in England, and a 9% increase in Wales. In Scotland, prices were up 0.4% year-on-year, but they were down 18.8% in Northern Ireland.
In England, London, the East, the South East and the South West all recorded house prices above the average property value in August.

News source credit - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11515818

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Why buy property in Brazil

What is so hot about Brazil?

 

360propertyinvest now have completed properties available at pre construction prices. contact us today

As a destination, Brazil is seen as a fabulous alternative to Spain and is much more affordable than the Caribbean.

The relaxed quality of life, the warm climate and the low cost of living attracts holiday makers from across the globe.

Brazil is a relatively new arrival on the international property scene and 2010 will see an unprecedented number of investors flocking to the country to pick up bargains in real estate.

It’s economy is firing on all cylinders, investment is flooding in, the population is becoming wealthier and property prices are soaring.Brazilian middle class is already at 35 million and is forecasted to grow 65%
by 2015.

Brazil also has over 1,000,000 multi millionaires who are attracted to European styled coastal holiday homes far away from Brazil's vast mega cities.

Along with future domestic economic growth and increasing spending power of the big Brazilian population this trend is set to continue. No other emerging market can equal the strong Brazilian long term demand.

Today, the climate for investment property in Brazil, has never been more promising.

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