Retail property specialist cuts carbon across its portfolio

The past 12 months has seen a 4.6% reduction in carbon emissions from Hammerson’s shopping centre portfolio, contributing to a 17.5% reduction against its 2010 baseline target. The company says it is on track to achieve its key target of a 20% reduction against the 2010 baseline by the end of 2015.

Hammerson was able to achieve its major targets through a variety of measures, including diversion of 91.7 per cent of waste from landfills, which saved some £1.45 million in landfill tax for retailers. Four of its centers were fitted with energy efficient natural ventilation and upgraded lighting to T5 and LED across retail parks, centres and car parks.

The company has also launched a research project, ‘The True Value of Shopping Centres’, looking at the impacts of shopping centres. A model has now been created to determine detailed data on the employment and skills impacts of new developments. Hammerson also published its first annual supplier report, which benchmarked the sustainability credentials of its suppliers.

Hammerson has also made strides in France, where water consumption across the shopping centre portfolio has exceeded the targeted 20 per cent reduction a year ahead of schedule. It also achieved BREEAM Excellent environmental rating awarded for Les Terrasses du Port in Marseille.

Louise Ellison, Hammerson head of sustainability, commented: “We set ourselves some challenging targets to achieve in 2013 and to have met and in most cases exceeded them, requires commitment from the whole business. Our focus for the next 12 months continues to be on initiatives which reduce environmental impacts and costs for our retailers and the business, ahead of setting our next set of long-term targets in 2015.”

Hammerson has moved all of its sustainability and CR reporting online. To view the latest report, performance data and targets, which continue to be EPRA and GRI compliant visit http://sustainability.hammerson.com/