LONDON, ENGLAND
201 Bishopsgate and The Broadgate Tower
|
The British Land Company Plc treats sustainability not as a desirable practice, but as a necessity. In an industry that relies heavily on resources, British Land sees it as the duty of real estate companies to ensure that everyone does their part to conserve resources.
In recognition of its efforts, British Land has received numerous awards. From 2003 to 2006, the company was recognized by the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes as the world market leader for the financial sector. In 2005 the Environmental Transport Association awarded British Land second place in the FTSE100 Company Transport Survey. The company was recognized in 2006 and 2007 by the National Green Apple Awards, and that same year it was named the Gold Winner for Best Environmental Practice for Eastgate Centre in Basildon. British Land was also honored by the Building Sustainability Awards as the Sustainable Developer of the Year for 2007.
British Land reduced energy consumption in its portfolio by 21 percent and water usage by 26 percent in 2005.
|
"We aim to lead the market in developing and managing buildings in a sustainable manner," says CEO Stephen Hester. "By financing, developing and managing properties that responsibly utilize energy, water and waste, we conserve the world's resources and can also reduce our costs and those of our occupiers."
All of British Land's properties in London have been given the target or provisional rating of Excellent from the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM). BREEAM assesses various ways that a new building impacts its surrounding environment, much like the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certifications in the U.S.
Aside from the many honors that British Land has received for its sound environmental design and responsible financial practices, it also has launched a campaign to educate the public. Now, its facilities display simple ways customers can help reduce their energy usage and be more mindful of sustainability issues. For example, a sign informs onlookers that if everyone in England boiled only as much water as they needed, they would save two-thirds of the electricity needed to light streets in the U.K.
Like most other European companies, British Land submits a corporate sustainability and responsibility report, which details its efforts to become carbon neutral. As compared to its usage in 2004 and 2005, the company reduced energy consumption in its portfolio by 21 percent and water usage by 26 percent. Seventy-five percent of the energy that British Land consumes comes from sustainable or renewable sources.
— Tara Anderson
