In 2020, the company's most significant emission reduction act was the purchase of renewable electricity. During the year, 14 new solar power plants were also installed, which reduce the need to purchase electricity. In addition, three new geothermal power plants were implemented, as well as numerous energy efficient solutions from automation control to renewed technology. In only two years, emissions from energy consumption have been reduced by 51 percent.
- We want to be strongly involved in transforming Finnish real estate into carbon neutral. Promoting carbon neutrality has been highlighted as one of the important goals in all real estate investment operations, and we have built ourselves a roadmap, which will guide our operations to carbon neutrality in energy use by 2030, says Markku Mäkiaho, CEO at OP Real Estate Investment Asset Management Ltd.
Responsibility for waste management is also important, and OP Real Estate Investment Asset Management’s goal is to increase the recycling and reuse rate, especially in waste management. Emissions from waste management will be reduced by providing extensive recycling opportunities for users. Since the beginning of 2020, OP Real Estate Asset Management has also purchased emission compensation for Gold Standard certified afforestation projects. Last year the compensation accounted for about 70 percent of the carbon footprint of waste management.
- In the real estate sector, practical measures have been taken in many respects to protect the environment. The exceptional circumstances caused by the coronavirus pandemic have also shed new light on the importance of social responsibility. During 2020, we have reviewed all our aspects of sustainability, looking at them through the perspectives of social responsibility, good governance, the environment, and carbon neutrality. The new sustainability measures formed our new sustainability program, which serves as an everyday tool in OP Real Estate Asset Management’s investment activities, says Mäkiaho.
The English version will be published later in Spring 2021.