Real estate investment trust British Land, Spanish city Vitoria-Gasteiz and the City Green Court building in Prague, Czech Republic, clinched the top spots in the “WorldGBC Leadership Awards - Europe Region.” The awards honour leadership and best practice in green building policy, construction projects and corporate initiatives.
Paul King, Chair of WorldGBC’s Europe Region Network and Chief Executive of the UK Green Building Council, said: “With nominations from around Europe, the real diversity of the WorldGBC’s Europe Network can be seen in these award entries. The award categories showcase not only some of the best green buildings in Europe, but the leading companies from across the built environment industry and progressive city-level policies as well.
“We congratulate these three winners, all of which clearly demonstrate why green business is good for our people and planet, and that green is simply good business.”
Vitoria-Gasteiz, capital of the Basque Country, picked up the award for Leadership in City Policy for Green Building award. The city allocates 15 per cent of its total budget to improving the environment and its sustainability policies have delivered a range of positive outcomes, including 45 square meters of public green space per person and 130,000 city street trees. Vitoria-Gasteiz’s long-term aim is to become a carbon-neutral zone.
British Land won the category for Business Leadership in Sustainability. As of March 2013, it had cut landlord-influenced energy by 38 per cent and reduced carbon emissions by more than 39,000 tonnes, compared to a 2009 baseline.
City Green Court, an office building by Skanska, topped the Leadership in Building Design and Performance category for its sustainability features. A naturally-ventilated atrium, advanced lighting system and waterless urinals ensure the building consumes 56 per cent less energy and 25 per cent less water than a typical Czech building.
Source: www.ukgbc.org