Colombia. Viva La Ceja, the only shopping center in this municipality in eastern Antioquia, received the LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification in the gold category in the retail sector.
LEED is a sustainable building certification system developed by the US Green Building Council. This certification system awards points to good practices related to energy saving, efficient use of water, materials and resources, quality of the indoor environment and design innovation.
There are several categories within the LEED certification: Basic (40 to 49 points), Silver (50 to 59 points), Gold (60 to 79 points) and Platinum (80 or more points). In the case of the Viva La Ceja shopping center, the Gold certification was granted, which is one of the most recognized on the scoring scale.
"This certification is an important validation for Grupo Éxito by experts in sustainable construction. Our Viva shopping centers are spaces designed to reduce environmental impact, reduce CO2 emissions and be efficient in the use of water and energy. Grupo Éxito's sustainability strategy is aimed at achieving economic, social and environmental balances and our architectural spaces are designed in this same way". Juan Lucas Vega Palacio, Vice President of Real Estate of Grupo Éxito, highlighted.
Grupo Éxito, through its real estate business and the Viva brand, is committed to sustainability and the development of environmentally friendly construction projects, which is why from its genesis Viva La Ceja has bet on LEED certification with bioclimatic studies that optimize the quality of the indoor environment. In its design and construction, materials were used that allow the efficient use of natural resources, control in the correct disposal of waste and the implementation of a system that optimizes the consumption of water and energy.
"The Leed Gold certification recognizes Viva La Ceja as an example of sustainable design and demonstrates its leadership in transforming the construction industry," the Green Building Council noted in its communication.
To comply with the standards defined by the Green Construction Council of the United States, Viva La Ceja has a photovoltaic plant designed to supply 100% of the energy need for self-consumption in common areas. Since April 30 of this year, when the plant was put into operation, to date, the emission of 10,772 kg of C02 has been avoided.
Grupo Éxito and its sustainability strategy
Grupo Éxito has a sustainability strategy supported by five challenges with which economic, social and environmental balance is sought. One of these challenges is Mi Planeta that seeks to measure, mitigate and compensate the impact of its operation on the environment and contribute to the generation of environmental awareness among its stakeholders, in order to reduce material, educate the consumer, be efficient in the management of resources and waste, build sustainable civil works and measure and mitigate the carbon footprint.
