CROMBIE: A MODEL OF SUSTAINABILITY
Commercial building owners have always sought out ways to lower operating expenses. Reducing energy usage and implementing higher energy efficiency measures are now critical to that reduction.
Aside from being a mechanism to save money, buildings have the opportunity to become more sustainable and environmentally friendly with energy conservation in mind. As building owners and managers face increased pressure to implement programs favouring sustainability and energy efficiency to reach net-zero by targeted dates, they need to look even further at their physical structures to accelerate achieving these goals to meet federal, provincial, and local mandates. And this is what Crombie REIT has done.
HOW DO THEY DO IT?
Crombie focuses on creating value and managing risk by owning, operating and developing their properties in a way that enhances local communities and protects the environment. Ever since its inception, the company has embedded sustainability principles into the way it operates. This has led Crombie to assess and identify seven material topics that serve as the key pillars of its sustainability program.
Through the incorporation of Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) measures, the principles include:
- Sustainable design and construction
- Greenhouse gas emissions
- Talent attraction, development, and retention
- Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I)
- Health, safety, and well-being
- Board composition and governance
- Risk management
These strategies have propelled Crombie to be a leader within the green buildings sector, reflected through being named a 2023 Green Lease Leader (Gold) by the Institute for Market Transformation and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Initiative. Being given this title identifies the company’s integral role in setting the global standard for lease language that fosters collaboration between landlords and tenants, works towards increasing energy savings, and creates healthier and more sustainable working spaces.
CROMBIE’S SUCCESS WITH AI
Crombie is committed to working with organizations that help them realize their full potential with optimal efficiency and sustainability, such as EcoPilot Canada |USA. EcoPilot’s AI solution, iBOS®, acts as a brain to any existing Building Management Systems to optimize connected HVAC systems intuitively and intelligently. This has led to substantial decreases in their buildings’ greenhouse gas emissions as well as an improved internal climate of their facility.
Crombie went on to earn a BOMA BEST Platinum certification for their Scotia Square complex in Halifax – the only office properties with this certification in Nova Scotia. This third-party recognition of their sustainability efforts comes after 20 years of work to reduce their carbon footprint and offer best-in-class properties and services.
Crombie has led by example with incorporating measures to support a greener built environment, and EcoPilot Canada is proud to be a valuable partner in the company’s continued efforts to do so.