L2D COMMITS TO CUTTING ITS CARBON EMISSIONS
With a vision to be the leading South African precinct-focused, retail-centred real estate investment trust, Liberty Two Degrees (L2D) has made commitments to changing some of its business operations that will support accelerated and positive changes by reducing carbon emissions, water use and water generation at its malls across the country.
A number of initiatives supporting these commitments have already been implemented, including the installation of a solar photovoltaic system at Liberty Midlands Mall, in KwaZulu-Natal, smart energy and water metering across the L2D co-owned malls, as well as many energy efficiency projects.
Further, to help reduce the use of single use plastics, L2D has implemented a policy to remove plastic straws and non-biodegradable balloons as well as replace single-use plastic shopping bags with sustainable alternatives at the company’s co-owned malls by January 1, 2020.
A bank of reverse vending machines, which were first installed in Sandton City, in Gauteng, in November, offers customers the option to “sell” their recyclable waste, while making recycling a part of their daily routine.
L2D co-owned malls all feature recycling and waste management facilities that will contribute to achieving NetZero waste to landfill by the end of 2020, says a statement issued on Thursday.
“We need to stop acting as though we can buy ourselves out of the climate crisis, or that we can wait for someone else to do it – we need to believe that what we do matters,” said L2D CEO Amelia Beattie, highlighting the “importance of individual actions”.
While the company’s initiatives are not expected to empty landfills, Beattie noted that it was about “sparking positive action” that could make a positive difference.
L2D malls provide enabling environments for some of the world’s most iconic and demanding brands and L2D therefore emphasised that the company “understands that partnerships with stakeholders are crucial in accelerating climate positive impact”.
In line with its Good Spaces strategic building block that aims to create resilient spaces that are agile, adaptable and aligned to Sustainability Development Goals, L2D has implemented its “Be The Change” campaign, aimed at educating, inspiring and appealing to all stakeholders to change and join the movement through adopting climate positive practices in their everyday lives.
The campaign has already been rolled out across all of L2D’s co-owned malls. Next year will see the full execution of the campaign, expected to host a line-up of sustainability events and other marketing- and operational-related features.http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/l2d-commits-to-cutting-its-carbon-emissions-2019-11-15
