Member Article

Apple of the South East's eye: centre:mk awarded sustainability accolade

centre:mk Milton Keynes, one of the top 10 retail destinations in the UK, has been recognised for its sustainability achievements over the last 24 months with a Green World Award, the top tier of the Green Apple Awards – enabling companies and organisations to win environmental recognition not only for themselves, but also for their countries.

Accredited with a Silver Award in the category for Energy Management, one of three in the UK to win an award in this grouping, the Green World Award acknowledges centre:mk’s commitment to sustainable practices and their pursuit to ensure the Grade II listed building is as environmentally friendly as possible.

By installing the first (non-sedum) carbon neutralising shopping centre roof system in the UK, centre:mk has converted 30,000kg of carbon over the last 12 months and seen a 15% reduction in landlord-controlled carbon emissions. The centre has also reduced gas usage by 57% and electricity usage by 24%, through conscious day-to-day activities, surpassing a target of 5% for both. Various waste reduction initiatives have resulted in 100% diversion from landfill, with an average 78% recycling and 22% waste to energy. Further key practices include the installation of a green roof and bug hotels, rainwater harvesting and the introduction of a fully electric fleet of patrol, waste and cleaning vehicles.

Kevin Duffy, centre:mk’s Centre Director, said: “Through our continued investment in sustainable technology and practices, we have been able to exceed predictions for our ESG credentials and the latest Green World Awards honour is great recognition of centre:mk’s commitment to be as green as we can be. The Green World Awards is one of the world’s most prestigious recognition campaigns and centre:mk’s many wins are entirely attributed to the great team we have here.”

The Silver Green World Award in the Property Management Sector for Energy Management comes after centre:mk’s recent win of both Sceptre’s Energy Management Award and Hermes’ RPI Best Property Award, highlighting the destination’s commitment to sustainability initiatives.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Nick Thornton .