Shopping Centers Today is the news magazine of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)
Issue link: https://sct.epubxp.com/i/739734
12 S C T / N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 6 T H E C O M M O N A R E A SUSTAINABILITY Cutting energy consumption by 20 percent in America's retail and other commercial buildings could save $5 billion a year, ac- cording to a new partnership forged between landlords and ten- ants. Tenants use more than half the energy in leased proper- ties, whether they be shopping centers, offices, industrial spaces or warehouses, and a sizeable amount of this could be reduced if landlords and tenants worked together, according to ICSC and two other groups that have formed The Landlord-Tenant Energy Partnership. "Often this energy is wasted by inefficient operations and equipment — so much so that their combined potential energy savings could be equivalent to taking the country of Mexico off the grid," said Adam Sledd, director of market engagement at the Institute for Market Transformation, one of the organi- zations behind the initiative. The third group involved is the Retail Industry Leaders Association. "The Landlord-Tenant Energy Partnership will equip tenants and landlords with the tools and support they need to unlock this massive potential via smarter, cost-effective business decisions," Sledd said. The Landlord-Tenant Energy Partnership will build upon standards for energy-aligned leasing (or "green leasing") prac- tices established by IMT and the U.S. Department of Energy's Green Lease Leaders program; improve the tenant site selection process; increase transparency of tenant utility consumption in office and retail buildings; promote widespread adoption of energy-efficient build-out standards and methods; and increase landlord-tenant inter- action to enable energy-saving efforts throughout the course of a tenant's lease. All of these practices will position tenants and landlords to make more- informed business decisions regarding their operations and leased space, proponents say. The Partnership also is designed to coordinate with the U.S. Environmental Pro- tection Agency's Energy Star program and U.S. Department of Energy's upcoming tenant- focused initiative. "ICSC is committed to helping its members advance an economically prosperous and environmentally sus- tainable future, and the Landlord-Tenant Energy Partnership will help identify cost-effective, sustainable strategies to create positive change within the entire retail real estate industry," said Abigail Jagoda, director, public policy and best practices, at ICSC. "As part of this effort, participants will seek and encour- age best practices and public policy that accelerates the indus- try's ongoing energy efficiency and sustainability gains." To kick off its efforts, the Partnership has established an advi- sory group comprised of representatives from some of the largest companies with national real estate portfolios, including CBRE, Kimco Realty Corp., and Nike. (The current list of advisors can be found at www.landlordtenantenergypartnership.org.) "As the largest publicly traded owner of open-air shopping centers in North America, Kimco has invested heavily in sus- tainability initiatives," said Will Teichman, senior director of strategic operations at Kimco Realty Corp. "Our participa- tion in the Landlord-Tenant Energy Partnership continues our practice of partnering with leading commercial owners, NGOs, utilities, and government authorities to identify mar- ket barriers to implementing forward-thinking programs and policies that not only improve the efficiency of our properties but also foster closer partner- ships with tenants and bring related benefits to their com- munities." By signing on to the pro- gram, participants will receive access to expert one-on-one guidance on implementing en- ergy efficiency in leased spaces, best-in-class model resources such as model lease language and build-out specifications, in- sights and research into leading landlord-tenant issues such as data sharing efforts, and access to innovative pilot projects and business models. S C T Landlords, tenants form green teams