Promoting Environmental Sustainability

December 17, 2020   \\\   Posted By CandorTechSpace

We observed World Environment Day by hosting talks, contests and workshops. The aim was to raise awareness and encourage action for driving positive impact on the environment.

With environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices at the very core of its business philosophy. Brookfield Properties strives to improve its operations and campus buildings’ performance (in terms of energy, water and waste) to reduce carbon footprint and minimise environmental impact through efforts focused on ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’.

The organisation’s green initiatives at campuses across India:

• Rooftop solar power plants installed with 1.20 MWp capacity;
• Sewage treatment plants set up to save 4,400 kl of freshwater per day;
• Composting stations and rainwater harvesting pits set up;
• Green belts’ conventional watering systems converted into drip irrigation to minimise water usage for horticulture;
• Air purification systems installed to ensure clean air indoors;
• LED lighting installed to help reduce energy consumption; and
• Shared mobility solutions offered to reduce carbon emission by 2,400 t annually.

This World Environment Day, Brookfield Properties organised live talks with thought leaders, contests and influencer-led workshops online.

Sustainability Talks by Brookfield Properties was a special campaign on creating a green built environment and workspaces.

SUSTAINABILITY TALKS
A special campaign on creating a green built environment and workspaces was hosted. The thought leaders who participated were Vasudevan Suresh, Chairman, Indian Green Building Council; Sameer Saxena, VP & Head, Real Estate, Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc.; Deepti Agrawal, VP Location and Property Strategy Lead India & Property Projects Lead, North India RBS; Manit Rastogi, Founding Partner, Morphogenesis; and Shantanu Chakraborty, Senior VP & Regional Head, India office, Brookfield Properties.

The dialogue brought forth the following initiatives and ideas on sustainable practices adopted by Brookfield Properties and its tenants:

• Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has upgraded its lighting systems to LED, across more than 320,000 square feet, saving over 38% (178,000 kWh) in energy;
• RBS has set goals to continue its decarbonisation, aiming to have climate-positive operations by 2025 through emission reductions and carbon offsetting. RBS India has replaced single-use plastic with biodegradable options in its office;
• Sopra Steria has replaced 90% of diesel cars used for employee commuting with CNG cabs, which has significantly reduced GHG emissions;
• Fidelity Investments has saved 1,181 tonnes of carbon footprint and 1,003 trees;
• SE2 has switched to electric vehicles, installed aerators in washrooms and hand-washing areas to reduce water consumption; and
• Wipro has partnered with non-profit organisations like Uthaan for plantation of hundreds of trees.

INFLUENCER-LED SESSIONS
To promote the importance of green spaces in boosting well-being, positivity and good health, a DIY session with Instagram influencer Aditi Khattar (from The Greenish Affair) was organised. In the live session, she gave home gardening ideas and tips for setting up a green workstation. She also spoke about how green spaces evoke positivity, health and good air.

CONTEST
An Environment Day contest was hosted online. To participate in the contest, people shared photos, tips or hacks of green spaces at their home or workspace. The contest was a huge success with participation from approximately 1,000 people. The eight best entries were declared as winners and rewarded.

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