Growthpoint's carbon disclosure at 83%

Growthpoint Properties, SA's largest Johannesburg Stock Exchange listed property company’s carbon disclosure score is now 83% from 46% in 2010.

Its office development Mayfair on the Lake in Umhlanga Ridge was awarded a GBCSA 4-Star Green Star SA Office Design v1 in November 2011.

The carbon disclosure project (CDP) was released by the National Business Initiative (NBI) last week and it revealed that Growthpoint scored the highest in the property sector.

Growthpoint has also taken the lead in carbon disclosure for the real estate sector on the African continent.

CDP rates companies in two core areas – the disclosure of emissions and activities, and response to climate change.

Valerie Geen, director of Climate & Energy Unit at the NBI explains that Growthpoint’s substantial improvement, boosting its carbon disclosure score from below 50 percent to over 80 percent in a single year, is particularly pleasing.

She says this is a job well done especially in context of the overall poor performance and participation of the property sector in the CDP.

“Over the past five years, we have been repeatedly frustrated by the lack of CDP input from the listed property sector”.

Geen says the listed property sector plays a crucial role in the entire value chain of the built environment through its ability to influence tenants and the construction industry.

CDP provides investors with an in-depth analysis of a business’s climate change and sustainability governance, strategy and communications as well as its approach to related risks and opportunities, its carbon emissions footprint and associated mitigation targets and initiatives.

Growthpoint has been included in the Johannesburg Stock Exchange’s (JSE) Socially Responsible Investment Index (SRI Index) for the third time based on positive environmental, social and economic sustainability practices and corporate governance.

The SRI Index identifies JSE listed companies that integrate the principles of the triple bottom-line and good governance into their business.

It is a global and local benchmark of corporate responsibility standards and a vehicle for responsible investment. It also contributes to the development of responsible business practice.

Growthpoint achieved the maximum number of core indicators for governance, related sustainability concerns and the newly-introduced best practice level in relation to environmental policy, systems and reporting criteria for companies with low environmental impact

“As a property investment company our business is long term. Sustainability is vital to our success,” says Growthpoint Properties executive director Estienne de Klerk.

He says maintaining and improving its sustainability performance will continue to be an important goal for the JSE Top 40 companies.

Head of utilities management at Growthpoint Essop Basha says carbon disclosure is tricky for property owners, as the landlord is not the main consumer or emitter.

Through its Property Point initiative, small, medium and micro enterprises working within the property sector are provided with skills training and development to grow entrepreneurs into fully independent, competitive companies. This initiative has to date directly created over 210 jobs.

It is therefore a business imperative for Growthpoint to address energy consumption, efficiency and savings to assist clients reduce their costs and impacts, and also support the profitability of clients’ businesses.

Its office development Mayfair on the Lake in Umhlanga Ridge was awarded a GBCSA 4-Star Green Star SA Office Design v1 in November 2011.

In a groundbreaking energy-saving pilot project, Lincoln on the Lake Rooftop Solar Project - Growthpoint Properties has provided its own regional office building to the study in the interests of clean energy and reducing demand on the energy grid in partnership with Eskom, Suntech (PV panel manufacturer) and power solutions company Hudu.

Through its Property Point initiative, small, medium and micro enterprises working within the property sector are provided with skills training and development to grow entrepreneurs into fully independent, competitive companies.

This initiative has to date directly created over 210 jobs.

Property Point was involved in Isimosezulu (climate) COP17 Place in Cato Manor, where 30 homes were green retrofitted by the Green Building Council of South Africa to showcase at the climate change negotiations. – Denise Mhlanga

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