Avison Young becomes founding partner in the Carbon Impact Initiative

Real estate services firm joins other building-construction industry leaders to create long-term strategies for low-carbon built environments

TORONTO, Dec. 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ - Mark E. Rose, Chair and CEO of Avison Young, the world's fastest-growing commercial real estate services firm, announced today that it has become a founding partner in the Carbon Impact Initiative (CII).

The CII brings industry leaders together to create long-term strategies that establish low-carbon built environments in Canada. To achieve this goal, CII members will work with government leaders to reduce the carbon impact of commercial buildings during all stages of development, from design to operations.

"Avison Young is thrilled to be the first – and only – commercial real estate services company to join the CII," comments Rose. "This initiative will play a key role in reducing emissions in new and existing buildings across Ontario, including office towers, shopping centres, industrial warehouses and facilities, and other commercial and residential properties. Avison Young's involvement with the CII is in keeping with our long-term commitment to sustainability and corporate social responsibility. A key part of this effort involves helping our clients reduce their carbon footprints. But our goals also include helping the commercial building sector manage its emissions responsibly for years to come – and our founding membership in the CII puts us on the path towards achieving that aim."

Rose adds: "The CII's dedication to collaboration and partnership fits seamlessly with Avison Young's Principal-led, collaborative culture and client-centric business model. By working together, the CII founders and future members will have the expertise to design and construct hyper-efficient, green buildings and infrastructure by integrating smart-energy technology, conserving resources, and using low-carbon materials."

The CII's founding members include EllisDon, the original leader of the initiative, and other large and influential organizations: BASF Canada, the Cement Association of Canada, Cisco Systems, Cricket Energy, Enbridge Gas and WSP Group.

"We will set in motion the tools and resources required to showcase Canada's commitments through large-scale projects," says Andrew Bowerbank, Global Director of Sustainable Building Services at EllisDon. "The CII will provide the leadership required to transform our market toward a low-carbon economy."

The CII has four action items:

1. Build/retrofit the next generation of buildings and infrastructure to meet and surpass new performance standards;
2. Develop a method for those in the industry to offset the footprint that building development, construction and operations incur;
3. Through research, testing and verification, facilitate rapid industry adoption of chosen strategies; and
4. Through investment and collaboration in Ontario, create economic opportunities connected to low-carbon approaches.

In addition, the CII will impact communities across Ontario for a sustainable, low-carbon future, thereby supporting regional growth and economic prosperity.

"This goal is significant because climate change is one of the most important issues that our industry faces today," says Rodney McDonald, Avison Young Principal and leader of the company's Global Citizenship affinity group. "If united, leaders in our industry will not only be able to serve our clients' sustainability goals and objectives, but also create a precedent for others in the community to follow."

Avison Young's founding membership in the CII follows up on the company's internal efforts to increase environmental sustainability. In 2015, the firm undertook a project to establish baselines for energy use, greenhouse-gas emissions (C0₂e) and water consumption in the firm's offices; and joined the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) and U.S. Green Building Council. In early 2016, Avison Young sponsored the CaGBC's Building Lasting Change conference and joined the U.K. Green Building Council and German Sustainable Building Council.

"By becoming a founding member of the CII, Avison Young is also expanding its Global Citizenship effort," adds Rose.

Global Citizenship is the umbrella name of Avison Young's corporate social responsibility, sustainability and philanthropy strategy. The strategy's five pillars include support for clients, corporate governance, operational excellence, communities and employee excellence. For each pillar, Avison Young has set a long-term goal for 2030 and metrics by which to measure progress.

Avison Young is the world's fastest-growing commercial real estate services firm. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Avison Young is a collaborative, global firm owned and operated by its principals. Founded in 1978, the company comprises 2,400 real estate professionals in 79 offices, providing value-added, client-centric investment sales, leasing, advisory, management, financing and mortgage placement services to owners and occupiers of office, retail, industrial and multi-family properties.

For further information/comment/photos:

• Sherry Quan, Principal, Global Director of Communications & Media Relations,
  Avison Young: 604.647.5098; cell: 604.726.0959
  
• Mark Rose, Chair and CEO, Avison Young: 416.673.4028
  
• Rodney McDonald, Principal, Avison Young: 416.673.4059 (office); 416.464.7680 (mobile)
  
• Andrew Bowerbank, Global Director of Sustainable Building Services, EllisDon Corporation: 416.568.3533

www.avisonyoung.com

Avison Young was a winner of Canada's Best Managed Companies program in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 and requalified in 2015 to maintain its status as a Best Managed Gold company.

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Editors/Reporters
• Please click on link to learn more about the low carbon agenda:
http://www.lowcarbonagenda.ellisdon.com

SOURCE Avison Young Commercial Real Estate (BC)

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