Letter from our head of real estate sustainability
Regan Smith
Our vision is to drive leadership in sustainable real estate across our global organization. Now more than ever, we are reminded of our interconnectedness with the planet as we face unprecedented challenges – a global pandemic and critical climate change.
Sustainability is incorporated into every stage of our real estate value chain. COVID-19 has only helped reaffirm our practices, accelerate our goals, and reinforce our five sustainability commitments as detailed in our Real Estate Sustainability Framework. Our ongoing response to climate change and the pandemic involves promoting positive, collaborative, science-based decisions in order to realize the sustainable future that we all envisage.
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Our five sustainability commitments
The following highlight our achievements within each of our five sustainability commitments. The asterisk denotes a 2019 sustainability objective, which was set by our Executive Sustainability Steering Committee.
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Minimize our environmental footprint
- Certified 15 buildings to LEED®, including the first Canadian building certified to LEED v4.1 in Ottawa
- Increased our total certification rate to 81% of our global portfolio—totaling over 48 million square feet
- Achieved our annual 2% energy and 1.5% water reduction goals as part of our five-year targets*
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Promote responsible business practices
- Achieved PRI Score of "A" in the Direct Reporting module
- Participated in the United Nations Environmental Protocol Financial Initiative (UNEP FI) to evaluate the financial implications from climate change's physical and transition risks
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Support health and wellness
- Achieved Fitwel certification at 220 Bloor, which is located within our Canadian corporate head office campus
- Developed an internal Fitwel certification guide
- Pursued Fitwel health and wellness standard at five buildings*
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Be accountable for our performance
- Improved GRESB score, earning a Green Star ranking in all five submissions and three- and five-star ratings*
- Improved our Sustainable Building Standards scores across all property types and met our 2019 office, industrial, and retail year-end targets*
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Engage our stakeholders
- Launched our internal Real Estate Sustainability Awards, which acknowledge the hard work and performance of our Green Champion community*
- Rolled out an annual, portfolio wide tenant engagement calendar across our internally managed properties*
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1
Improve average Sustainable Building Standards score for each property type
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2
Set long-term greenhouse gas target
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3
Integrate climate mitigation and adaptation into Sustainable Building Standards
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4
Improve portfolio energy management
Reports and important documents
Case studies
MicroHabitat: urban gardening in downtown Montreal
Our Montreal property teams formed a partnership with MicroHabitat to grow, harvest, and distribute fresh produce to the local community.
Giving back in Ottawa
Our Ottawa real estate team takes a hands-on approach to giving back to the local community.
Ottawa LEED v4.1 certification
We're paving the way forward with performance-based recognition. 1600 Carling is Canada's first LEED v4.1 certification.
Vancouver's holiday food bank
Our Vancouver property team partnered with Upper Nicola Band and Upper Nicola Valley Food Bank to spread cheer during the 2019 holiday season.