AREIT, the real estate investment trust of Ayala Land Inc., has received the EDGE Zero Carbon Certification for eight office buildings comprising 354,000 square meters. 

The eight AREIT buildings awarded are Glorietta 1 and 2 Corporate Center, Solaris One, McKinley Exchange Corporate Center in Makati, Vertis North Corporate Centers 1, 2, and 3 in Quezon City and The 30th Corporate Center in Pasig on account of a 45.33 percent improvement in energy efficiency, 49.07 percent in water and 61.88 percent in embodied carbon material reduction.

“Our commitment to EDGE Zero carbon is a testament to the value we see in developing environmentally conscious developments to ensure a more sustainable future for the country,” Mariana Zobel de Ayala, senior vice president and group head for Leasing and Hospitality of Ayala Land, Inc., director of AREIT Inc., and executive director of Ayala Corporation said. 

Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies or EDGE is an international green building certification and an innovation of the World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation. It is the highest level of EDGE certification granted to properties that have neutralized carbon emissions through renewable energy use. It requires a minimum of 40 percent energy savings and 20 percent savings in water and embodied carbon in materials compared to the base case.

In September 2023, Ayala Land and AREIT signed an MOU with IFC to solidify their commitment to achieving EDGE Zero Carbon across 1.5 million square meters of office space by 2025. This establishes the Philippines’ most extensive EDGE Zero Carbon office portfolio.

ALI and AREIT Inc. shifted 88 percent of their office portfolio to renewable energy, equivalent to 1.2 million square meters of gross leasing space.

“This is a clear example of successfully translating climate ambitions into action, and we look forward to seeing the rest of their office portfolio certified,” Jean-Marc Arbogast, IFC country manager for the Philippines, said.