Sonae Sierra reduces water consumption per visit by 12%

Sonae Sierra, the international shopping centre specialist, has improved the efficiency of water usage over the last 7 years, achieving savings, in 2010 and across the entire portfolio, of about 233 million litres of water, and attaining a 12% reduction in water consumption per visit, which, last year, levelled at 3.7 litres/ visit.

In 2010, the shopping centres alone consumed 82 million litres less of water, a reduction of 6% compared to the previous year.

Water consumption in shopping centres is controlled through sophisticated timer systems for taps and other equipments, which enable significant savings. By increasing the efficiency of water consumption in its activities, Sonae Sierra has been contributing not only to reduce the risks associated with water scarcity, but also to minimize its water "footprint", preparing itself for future legislation on building performance in terms of water. The eco-efficiency measures implemented over the years have enabled savings in water costs of about € 545,000 in 2010.

Portugal: 8ª Avenida, CascaiShopping and MadeiraShopping lead in savings In Portugal, in general terms, our shopping centres recorded savings in the total gross water consumption. The water volume saved in 2010 surpassed 50 million litres, an 8% reduction compared to the previous year. Last year, shopping centres 8ª Avenida, CascaiShopping and MadeiraShopping were the highlights in terms of efficient water consumption. In 2010, 8ª
Avenida was the centre with the highest reduction in water consumption per visit, a 28.4% decrease compared to 2009, followed by MadeiraShopping (27.5%) and CascaiShopping (20.2%).

The reduction of water consumption is one of the main factors of Sonae Sierra's Corporate Responsibility strategy. Before 2020, the company's objective is that at least 10% of the total water used in shopping centres is reused/recycled or collected rain water, and that the consumption level is equal of inferior to 3 litres per visit across its entire portfolio.

"Through our Environmental Management System, together with the most recent technologies and water efficiency and rationalization measures in the Company's offices and Shopping Centres, we have been sustainably reducing water consumption, trying not to waste this valuable and increasingly scarce resource", says Elsa Monteiro, Sonae Sierra's Head of Sustainability.

Sonae Sierra has been raising the awareness of its employees, tenants and visitors, in terms of savings of drinking water and good environmental practices, continuously launching informative initiatives on the subject. "This year, to celebrate the World Water Day, we launched an awareness campaign in the Media “Saving at Water's Rhythm” which invites Portuguese people to adopt more responsible behaviours regarding the efficient and rational use of water. This awareness campaign has the purpose of offering simple suggestions for saving water in everyday tasks", adds Elsa Monteiro

Eco-efficiency measures

As part of its policy in last few years, Sonae Sierra has implemented in 2010 a set of measures to improve the efficiency of water usage in the company's shopping centres and offices, which contributed to the achieved results. These measures included:

• Awareness-raising campaigns about the importance of water preservation among shopping centre visitors in all countries;
• Implementation of water leak detection systems within the Building Management System (BMS) at Centro Colombo, ArrábidaShopping and LeiriaShopping (Portugal), Plaza Mayor (Spain) and Münster Arkaden (Germany);
• Continued the installation of flow reduction devices on taps in several shopping centres that didn't yet have the devices available;
• Improvements in the skylight water distribution system at Vasco da Gama Centre;
• The introduction of procedures to promote water efficiency in tenants’ refurbishment works and in the cleaning suppliers’ operations;
• Correction of water meters at Franca Shopping, Shopping Campo Limpo and Shopping
Penha and the repair of water leakages at Franca Shopping and Tivoli Shopping (all in Brazil).
These measures helped Franca Shopping to reduce water consumption by around 25% in the third quarter of 2010;
• Changes to the procedures for cleaning and irrigation water use at Boavista Shopping,
Shopping Campo Limpo and Parque D. Pedro Shopping (all in Brazil). These changes contributed to a 12% reduction in water consumption at Parque D. Pedro Shopping during the third quarter of the year;
• The way the landscaping project can contribute to a water consumption reduction, by incorporating plants that require less water, was analyzed in some centres, such as Gli Orsi and Freccia Rossa (Italy) and Parque D. Pedro Shopping (Brazil).
Many of these measures were the result of the recommendations and audits on water consumption carried out in all of the Company's centres and offices in 2008 and 2010.