UBC O and UBC 3, Timișoara in Romania awarded the highest green building honour

The UBC O and UBC 3 office buildings in Iulius Town, Timisoara have been awarded LEED Platinum certification, the highest honour in green buildings today. The buildings are among the very top percentile of sustainable buildings worldwide, with excellent ratings in energy performance, low carbon emissions, water savings, recycled materials, and connectivity. In fact, UBC O and UBC 3 are the only LEED Platinum certified buildings in Romania outside of Bucharest.

The US Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED rating system is widely used and considers sustainability principles in building design, construction, and operations. With 40% of global CO² emissions generated by buildings and the construction industry, the transition to green buildings is an inevitable trend. While investments in green buildings are more expensive due to the use of special materials and systems, they offer considerable subsequent benefits in lower utility consumption and operating costs.

Sustainability is integral to our core business, and all our projects are either certified or pending certification as green buildings. Together with the Iulius group we own the only nationwide network of green certified shopping centers in Romania. We have recently signed a partnership with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to develop a strategy to decarbonize our entire portfolio and achieve net-zero emissions, which would be the first such engagement in Romania. We are also implementing a project to enhance energy autonomy across all our properties, including Iulius Town Timisoara, by installing photovoltaic panels, which will help us achieve environmental protection and better control of energy costs.

UŠĆE Shopping Center, Serbia: Eco-friendly practices

The UŠĆE Shopping Center in Serbia is committed to eco-friendly practices and has implemented composting as part of their sustainability strategy. This is a new business model for the real estate industry in Serbia and helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the carbon footprint. The estimated reduction in CO² emissions is 10 tons of oil equivalent per year. The UŠĆE Go green project will also include other initiatives such as installing a solar plant, additional electric vehicle chargers, a green roof and urban garden, air turbines, and a power energy harvester. These projects align with circular economy principles and support the national goal to reduce GHG emissions by 33.3% by 2030.

Clean energy in sunny Cyprus

Atterbury Europe has made a deal with a solar farm to provide electricity to the entire Mall of Cyprus, as part of its eco-friendly strategy. This will not only replace the traditional power provider with a sustainable option but also result in significant cost savings for the mall’s occupants. The solar project is being implemented in three phases, with Mall of Engomi being completed in the third phase. The aim is for Mall of Cyprus to achieve an “A” building energy-efficiency rating review. In addition to the corporate social responsibility benefits and cost savings, the use of sustainable and abundant sources of power is a significant advantage.

Apart from the solar project, there are other green initiatives across both Mall of Cyprus and Mall of Engomi. These include recycling food waste through on-site composting to reduce the volume of waste that needs to be transported to waste disposal sites, adiabatic cooling to prolong the lifespan of equipment and reduce energy consumption, upgrading older equipment with newer, more efficient machinery, and installing EV charging points to prepare for the expected growth in electric cars in Cyprus over the next few years.