Green Buildings for Greening Supply Chains – Selected Organisational and Legal Solutions on the Polish Commercial Warehouse Space Market

Purpose: The main objective of this article is to determine the conditions and current state of development of selected organisational and legal solutions relating to the greening of resources in the commercial warehouse space market in Poland, taking into account international trends, applicable legislation and expectations of entities operating within Green Supply Chains. Design/Methodology/Approach: To achieve the main objective of the article, mostly secondary sources of information were used. Literature on Green Supply Chains, Green Supply Chain Management and on Green Buildings was analysed. In addition, the study used data from consultancies and real estate agencies on the development of the commercial warehouse space market in Poland. In order to achieve the objective, annual reports of the Polish Green Building Council on sustainable, certified buildings were utilised. An in-depth analysis of a number of reports by national and international institutions on the real estate market and its legal solutions was also carried out. The author also analysed selected legal acts concerning the subject issue. Findings: The results of the survey indicate that the market for commercial warehouse space in Poland is developing dynamically. As the years go by, there is a growing interest on the part of tenants operating within the structures of various supply chains in leasing warehouses with green solutions - buildings certified under multi-criteria certification systems. This is also due to EU regulations coming into force. This is also being followed by the introduction of green leases and green clauses in the commercial space market (especially office and retail space). There are various types of such clauses. Due to the specific nature of the commercial industrial and warehouse space market, green lease agreements undoubtedly also have great potential for development here. Practical Implications: An analysis of secondary sources made it possible to identify practical implications for the development of the commercial warehouse space market in Poland in the context of the need to green its stock. Attention was drawn to the development of the stock of certified facilities and popular certification schemes, in addition to suggestions from experts regarding the likelihood of modifying certification criteria to meet new legal requirements. At the same time, other possible practices that market participants can reach for, such as the use of green lease agreements, were pointed out. This approach is important for the various stakeholders in the commercial warehouse space market to look for new solutions for the future, in view of the intensification of environmental requirements in cooperation in supply chains. Originality/Value: This article attempts to identify ways of greening the market for commercial storage facilities in Poland, taking into account selected organisational and legal solutions. This approach, which has the character of a specific case study of Polish market conditions, is intended to contribute to enriching the literature on the subject with theoretical and utilitarian aspects.