More than a decade after the publication of its first Environmental stewardship, Social Responsibility and Governance (ESG) report, Prologis has released its 2020 ESG Sustainability Report.
Prologis says ESG is woven into its fabric, informing decision-making from the boardroom to all corners of its global operation. Its organisational commitment to ESG is strengthened by its inherent alignment with the strategic blueprint of the company, the business imperatives it calls the 3Cs: Customer Centricity; Change Through Innovation and Operational Excellence; and Culture & Talent.
Highlights from its 2020 ESG report demonstrate how Prologis continues to leverage its global scale to provide leading solutions in areas like energy efficiency, carbon neutrality, and customer innovation.
Environmental Stewardship
Its commitment to sustainable building design, energy efficiency and renewable energy all create value for its customers. For example, through the Prologis SolarSmart initiative, part of the Prologis Essentials programme, it partnered with customers to install 40MW globally making 2020 one of the most successful years to date. Since 2016, LED lightning has been its building standard and working together with its customers it achieved almost 50% LED coverage in 2020.
2020 also marked the opening and development of multiple Smart Building projects in Europe, adopting and advancing cutting-edge sustainable technologies, materials, building techniques (like low carbon building materials, borehole thermal energy storage, electric heat pumps) and circular building design. These Smart Buildings have set an altogether new standard for warehousing and logistics, streamlining its customers’ operations from day one and optimising productivity as they grow.
With its newly announced global goal to achieve carbon-neutral construction by 2025, Prologis is taking a leadership role in addressing one of the largest sources of global carbon emissions: the embodied carbon of buildings. Just south of Paris, its new Moissy 2 logistics facility will be its first carbon-neutral warehouse, avoiding, reducing and compensating 100% of construction, operations and maintenance impacts throughout the building’s life cycle. Built with no gas connection, the building will rely on design efficiencies, rooftop solar, purchased green energy and borehole thermal energy storage for heating, cooling and power.
Across Europe, it partners with the international charity Cool Earth to fund the protection of rainforest lands equivalent to five times the unavoidable embodied carbon emissions associated with constructing its buildings.
Social Responsibility
Prologis’ stakeholders are fundamental partners in its business’ success. To grow long-term value, it develops deep relationships and advances the interest of its stakeholders. This means creating an environment where its employees can reach their full potential, where its products and services create unique value for customers and where Prologis advances economic opportunity and well-being in its communities.
Examples are solving customer labour challenges by designing buildings for sustainability as evidenced by The WELL Building Standard.
PARKlife, a Prologis Europe initiative, offers park facilities and amenities to customers, their employees and local communities. Many of its parks facilitate green travel options such as easily accessible public transport, EV charging stations and safe bicycle storage, which help employees get to work sustainably. Others have onsite canteens and food truck courts that provide its customers’ employees a variety of onsite dining choices. Walking trails, gyms and sports facilities are also popular amenities. PARKlife is a mindset and is about looking at how Prologis’ shared spaces and places can become the best environment for everyone who interacts with it.
Through its Community Workforce Initiative, a unique logistics sector talent development programme, Prologis is able to unlock economic opportunity for communities while engaging with its customers to address one of their biggest pain points: labour.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Prologis’ commitment to support its customers and employees reinforced its standing as an unwavering partner for its stakeholders. For its customers it supplied personal protective equipment and implemented COVID-19 protocols to keep its customers’ workforce safe and their businesses running.
Prologis’ employees are the beating heart of its business, delivering value for the company and its customers and bringing its sustainability goals to fruition. As such, the pandemic challenged Prologis to conduct an immediate evaluation of its benefits and add several new offerings to support the health and well-being of its employees.
Prologis says it is important to be a part of the communities it lives and works in, and this motivates Prologis to initiate volunteering projects and philanthropy including IMPACT Day, Space for good, Dock Doors of Giving and many other initiatives across Europe.
“Our 2020 Sustainability Report marks ongoing progress in our longstanding commitment to ESG. In a year that posed unprecedented challenges, I am proud that our European team has continued to use their drive for innovation, growth, and partnership to support our customers and communities. It is a testament to our philosophy that puts ESG first, not only because it makes business sense, but simply because it is the right thing to do,” concludes Ben Bannatyne, President, Prologis Europe.
