Morguard's 2014 Sustainability Performance: Reducing Our Environmental Footprint to Enhance the Long-Term Value of the Real Estate Portfolio

MISSISSAUGA, ON, May 21, 2015 /CNW/ - Morguard Corporation (TSX: MRC) released its 2014 Sustainability Report demonstrating a five-year track record of continuous performance improvements in environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives.  

Five Year Sustainability Highlights

• 11.4% reduction in energy use and 22.3% reduction in water consumption since 2010
• 48 BOMA BESt and 10 LEED certified green buildings
• Top 35 Best Employers in the Greater Toronto Area
• Three GOLD Awards and One Silver Award as Canada's Safest Employer
• Canadian Future 40 Responsible Corporate Leader two years running

"We continue to realize reductions in energy, water and greenhouse gas emissions at our owned and managed buildings that have earned recognition for our sustainability program," said K. (Rai) Sahi, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Morguard Corporation.  "These achievements not only reduce the environmental footprint of our portfolio, but also enhance the long-term value of properties and increase our ability to attract and retain tenants."

2014 Sustainability Highlights

Electricity and natural gas are the primary areas where Morguard's property professionals implement sustainability programs that create cost savings for owners and tenants. Morguard's management teams, in conjunction with owners, establish strategic plans aimed at improving building efficiency and meeting tenants' needs. Morguard has reduced energy use again in 2014 through such initiatives as new mechanical systems, lighting retrofits, recladding, recommissioning of building systems, energy audits and certifications that all contribute to increased efficiencies.

Morguard's sustainability initiatives at its Canadian office and retail properties resulted in a significant cost savings through reductions in building energy, water and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), over the baseline year of 2010.

To give perspective, the energy savings alone in 2014 could power 2044 homes for a year, while the water saving in 2014 could provide enough drinking water for a single person for more than 100 years.

Canada's Safest Employer
Supporting its sustainability program, Morguard has taken a leadership role in Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), to make Morguard's work places and public spaces safe for the more than 120 million people who annually visit the combined Canadian portfolio of shopping centres, office towers, industrial properties and multiple development projects. In 2014, Morguard was recognized with back-to-back Gold Awards as Canada's Safest Employer in the Retail and Services category.  The investment in OHS programs and training has realized a direct and measurable impact on the performance of the portfolio due to strong employee engagement. 

Future 40 Responsible Corporate Leader
For the second year in a row, Morguard was named as a Future 40 Responsible Corporate Leader in Canada by Corporate Knights, recognizing the corporate up-and-comers in Canada that are top sustainability performers. Corporate Knights, a media and investment research company based in Toronto, selected Morguard among a qualified group of 187 companies. Morguard scored well based on 12 key performance indicators within resource management, financial management and employee management. The ranking acknowledges Morguard's leadership in ESG reporting and the results of our sustainability programs.

Download the Highlights or the full Report
Morguard has made available the 2014 Sustainability Highlights and the full 2014 Sustainability Report on its corporate web site at www.morguard.com. The Report is a self-declared Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Application Level B and includes Construction and Real Estate Sector Supplement (CRESS) indicators.

About Morguard
Morguard Corporation is a major North American real estate and property management company.  It has extensive retail, office, industrial and residential holdings owned directly and through its investment in Morguard REIT and Morguard North American Residential REIT.  Morguard also provides real estate management and equities investment services to institutional and other investors. Morguard's owned and managed portfolio of assets is valued at more than $19 billion.

Web Site: www.morguard.com

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/morguard

SOURCE Morguard Corporation