• Reduce our direct impacts on the environment and support the broader international drive towards carbon reduction
• Address the challenges of rising energy prices, South Africa’s energy supply shortages and increasing pressure on companies to adopt environmentally friendly practices

In response to these challenges, during the year, we formed an Energy Forum, comprising Growthpoint divisional heads. The forum is responsible for guiding the business units on how to approach energy issues, consulting with outside experts where necessary, and will also be the conduit for engaging with SAPOA [South African Property Owners Association] on energy related matters. Specifically, the responsibilities of the forum are to:

• Oversee the implementation of an effective utilities management platform and evaluate its impact. The platform's objective is to improve utilities management in Growthpoint buildings through comprehensive measuring, monitoring and reporting of energy, water and utility consumption. The platform will help Growthpoint to set and maintain energy expenditure targets, in accordance with the targets set by the National Energy Regulator. Apart from enhancing revenue management of utilities, the platform forms an integral part of our efforts to deliver accurate data to clients and carbon accounting schemes
• Evaluate energy saving products (e.g. lighting and building materials) and oversee their roll out
• Provide guidelines on the implementation of energy saving measures
• Set achievable timelines to accomplish Growthpoint's goals
• Monitor our carbon emissions

To assist it in its role, the forum has established a technical committee.

We have also implemented the following initiatives to address energy and other green challenges:

• Developed an energy efficiency programme, to reduce overall energy consumption by between 10% and 20% where applicable. As part of this initiative, we are conducting ongoing energy and water audits, including energy baseline evaluations. Employees are actively involved as change agents in bringing to scale and implementing the programme across all business divisions
• Become a signatory to the National Energy Efficiency Accord
• Progressed with our green building practices through Lincoln on the Lake. Growthpoint applied for a four-star rating for Lincoln on the Lake, which is the first building in KwaZulu Natal to be registered with the Green Building Council of South Africa. We are encouraging the adoption of similar green building elements in all our new property developments
• Appointed a consultant from WSP Green by Design (an engineering consultancy) to help find ways of making existing Growthpoint buildings more efficient from a green building perspective, looking at the most cost-effective options. The objective is to develop a knowledge base for our facilities and project managers. Our portfolio and facilities managers also attend ongoing green building star rating training
• Implemented an educational drive among staff, focusing on raising awareness of green buildings. The purpose is to empower these staff with the knowledge to resolve green related challenges
• A Green Team initiative, run by volunteer employees, continues to develop its Partnering for Change Programme, which enables us to share environmental best practices with tenants and suppliers
• Implemented an "energy" tab on the staff intranet, through which staff can access guidelines on energy saving, for use in their personal lives and in Growthpoint buildings
• Embarked on a carbon footprint assessment of our operations, starting with our head office building in Sandton (The Place). Once all the requirements for this building have been determined, we will develop a broader rating standard which can be used for other Growthpoint buildings. This is an ongoing process that will measure, track and manage carbon and water usage, ensuring that we operate in a way that minimises our environmental footprint
• Involvement of a Growthpoint representative, with the Green Building Council of South Africa, in the development of the South African Green Star – Retail V1 Technical Manual and rating tool
• Active participation in the Climate Change Response Programme through the National Business Initiative Carbon Disclosure Project and the Carbon Disclosure Project in London. This process will integrate Growthpoint's climate change strategies with regional and international greenhouse gas accounting schemes

Green building philosophy

Our green building philosophy is modelled on that of the Green Building Council of South Africa. Many of our building practices are already following the guidelines laid down in this philosophy, and we will continue to use this as a baseline for our environmental behaviour.

In particular, we will apply all the categories of this comprehensive philosophy for  new property developments (by making the relevant architects aware of these). In the case of existing Growthpoint buildings, we will implement those categories that are relevant, by educating building and facilities managers on the necessary detail.