On the occasion of the World Water Day, Sonae Sierra the international shopping centre specialist publishes its water results for 2009 and reveals its dedication to the careful use of precious drinking water. Compared to 2005, the company has reduced the water consumption at its shopping centers throughout the world by 11.6%. This corresponds to a reduction in water consumption from 4.3 to 3.8 liters per shopping center visitor within four years.
"Thanks to our Environmental Management Systems and latest technologies, we have sustainably succeeded in minimizing the water consumption, avoiding waste water and improving the quality of the drinking water at our shopping centers", states Elsa Monteiro, Head of Sustainability at Sonae Sierra. "For this reason, the motto of this year's World Water Day 'Clean Water for a Healthy World' is a perfect match for our corporate strategy."
Reducing the water consumption and at the same time avoiding water contamination are major factors of the Sonae Sierra corporate responsibility strategy. Systems for exploiting rainwater and water treatment are part of Sierra's Environmental requirements for new shopping centers. Sanitary areas with water-saving flushing and sensor-controlled taps round off the shopping centers' environmentally-friendly features.
Furthermore, Sonae Sierra is focusing on increase awareness among employees, tenants and visitors to conserving drinking water by means of continual information on the subject.
Environmental protection pioneer
Within the European shopping center industry, Sonae Sierra is a pioneer in matter of the environment. For almost fifteen years now, the company has been focusing on sustainability in the development and operation of its shopping centers. To implement environmental policy values and directives, Sonae Sierra has in line with the international IS0 14001 standard developed its Environmental Management system (EMS), which has been certified by LLoyd's Register Quality Assurance. This management system is aimed at increasing eco-efficiency throughout the entire lifecycle of projects.
Among other things, Sonae Sierra has received the international Green Thinker Award and the Sustainable Energy Europe Awards (SEE) for its pioneering achievements and innovativeness in the area of sustainability. Furthermore, the company is one of the founding members of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), a high-caliber, international initiative for strengthening sustainable business activities.
Source: Sonae Sierra
