After the C&A eco store, REDEVCO now to develop green shopping centres

REDEVCO plans to assess its retail developments in Europe according to green building rating standards, as part of our commitment to improving the energy efficiency of our operations and to accelerating green design. To demonstrate this commitment, we aim to assess our new development projects using BREEAM, the world’s longest established and most widely used green building standard. We are currently preparing 11 green projects in Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Turkey and the UK.

The first REDEVCO building with a BREEAM certificate was 40 Princes Street in Edinburgh.

REDEVCO UK has also undertaken initial assessments of 120 Moorgate and 1-4 Connaught Place in London. In cooperation with REDEVCO, C&A is pursuing an eco store concept which focuses on state-of-the-art building and shopping infrastructure to ensure energy efficiency. In the second half of the 2008 trading year, C&A is scheduled to open its first eco store in Mainz in Germany. Overall energy savings of approximately 50% are expected to be achieved compared with the current system. The eco store will be powered by renewable energy, which in turn will trigger carbon neutrality for the total store. The UK BREEAM retail standard will be adapted to the German situation for this purpose. REDEVCO Turkey plans to certify the new developments in Ankara, Edirne, Erzurum and Manisa using the BREEAM standard, and the UK BREEAM retail standard will be adapted to the Turkish situation for this purpose. The BREEAM certification process for five of REDEVCO Turkey’s projects commenced on 19 October.

As part of REDEVCO’s commitment to introducing energy-saving technologies, REDEVCO France is currently carrying out two pilot projects: an eco-community, including shops and housing, in the heart of Bordeaux’s historic centre, and a massive solar energy production unit in Pontault-Combault.

REDEVCO France plans to build France’s most powerful solar power station embedded in the roof of its forthcoming Les Quatre Chênes retail park in Pontault-Combault (43,000 sq. m.). REDEVCO is being supported in this project by GOOD ENERGIES, a company belonging to the same group (COFRA Holding AG) and a leader investor in renewable, wind and solar energy, and in power management technology for the building industry.

REDEVCO Belgium is to install PV panels on the roofs of its development project in Wilrijk. It also plans to install PV trackers at the car park, which will automatically follow the path of the sun throughout the day. The finished complex will open at the beginning of 2008.

REDEVCO Netherlands will develop the prestigious Ravel project on Amsterdam’s Zuidas and the post office building in Rotterdam according to green standards. The Ravel programme will include at least 15,000 sq. m. of retail space and focus on the top segment of the international retail market.

Commenting on the assessment, Jaap Gillis, Chief Operating Officer of REDEVCO Europe, says “It is all very well for a company to say it is going green, but empty promises mean nothing. To demonstrate that our commitment is not an act of commercial lip service, we want our new development projects to be assessed by an independent third party using an internationally recognised standard”.

BREEAM will be used as a guide and an objective tool in making our buildings green. BREEAM assesses the environmental performance of buildings, from design through to construction and operation. BREEAM sets out the standards for best practice in sustainable development and
demonstrates a clear level of achievement. Buildings are rated on a scale of pass, good, very good and excellent and a certificate awarded. It is regarded by the UK’s construction and property sectors as the measure of best practice in environmental design and management. Winner of the “Best Program”

Award at the influential 2005 Tokyo World Sustainable Building Conference, BREEAM was acknowledged “the most successfully executed programme for promoting sustainable practices, and influencing other initiatives, worldwide”. A green building standard gives us and our stakeholders an insight into the performance of individual buildings, based on land use, energy use, water, building materials, occupant health and well-being, transport, pollution, ecology and management.

On 13 November the ICSC (International Council of Shopping Centers) announced that it would be calling for the BREEAM standard to be adapted for use across Europe. Earlier this year, the ICSC set up a Sustainability Working Group, chaired by ICSC European Chair Jaap Gillis and made up of 21 ICSC members from 7 countries. The ICSC hopes the working group will help ensure the industry is better informed of developments and also contribute to an ongoing dialogue with EU policymakers.

The demand for green buildings will be driven by Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Major retailers are already beginning to raise the stakes when it comes to CSR. In addition, where energy costs account for an increasing proportion of total costs and energy prices rise, tenants will have a greater incentive to demand more efficient buildings. Jaap Gillis says “In most countries, buildings are responsible for at least 40% of energy use. It is essential to act now, because buildings can make a major contribution to tackling climate change and energy use. We can dramatically improve energy efficiency today using existing technologies. As a real estate investor and developer, it is our responsibility to apply these technologies. The environmental impact will be reduced, and our tenants will also benefit, since their operational costs will be cut.”

These projects are REDEVCO’s first green projects. We are continuing to implement our strategy to make our portfolio as green as possible and we will be announcing other green projects soon.

ABOUT REDEVCO
REDEVCO, part of COFRA Holding, owns one of the largest retail real estate portfolios in Europe. The company is active in 20 European countries and develops and manages a portfolio consisting of retail
properties in top locations throughout Europe’s major cities. The portfolio, which also includes office buildings and logistics centres, currently comprises over 800 properties, with an estimated value of c. € 7.1 billion.

source : Redevco