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
