CHICAGO, 2016-Jul-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — GGP, the owner and operator of 128 high-quality retail properties in the United States, released its annual sustainability report which reaffirms its industry-leading role as an environmentally responsible business and showcases the impacts of its efforts. The company’s sustainability strategy includes programs in areas such as operations and efficiencies, development and property management, community engagement, and workplace development and training.
“Sustainability is not just a buzzword or isolated program for GGP, it is at the core of our values and is embedded into every part of our business,” said Shobi Khan, chief operating officer at GGP. “We consistently strive to improve the efficiency of our properties and work side-by-side with each tenant to reduce our footprint and make substantial impacts to better the environment around us.”
Among the many highlights from 2015 sustainability initiatives, GGP made tremendous headway in the company’s five areas of focus:
- Reduced overall carbon footprint by 23,200 metric tons of carbon dioxide; the equivalent of removing nearly 5,000 cars off the roads in the U.S.
- Through the utilization of smart irrigation technology, reduced water consumption at properties by more than 64 million gallons; the equivalent of nearly 100 Olympic-sized swimming pools
- Diverted over 54,300 tons of waste from landfills that could have otherwise filled more than 4,500 garbage trucks
- Reduced electricity consumption by approximately 215 million kilowatt hours, which is enough electricity to power all of the home in Coral Gables, Florida for one year
- Anticipated savings of approximately 44.5 million kilowatt hours per year by updating 500 inefficient roof-top common area heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) units with high-efficiency units
For a second consecutive year, GGP is recognized for making ecological, economic and social initiatives an integral part of its business with the highest possible real estate sustainability honor – a prestigious Green Star – by the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB). Furthermore, the company’s solar generation projects currently underway will rank GGP among the top 10 U.S. companies by solar capacity, according to 2015 Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) rankings.
“It is encouraging to see the progress of GGP and the broader commercial real estate sector as sustainability issues are becoming increasingly important for retailers and the end-consumer,” said Nils Kok, chief executive officer of GRESB. “Sustainability initiatives are directly reducing expenses and will lead to more competitive positioning of assets over the next couple of years.”
Contact:
Lindsay Kahn
GGP Public Relations Manager
312-960-2616
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- GGP reaffirms its industry-leading role as an environmentally responsible business in its 2016 sustainability report
Source: GGP