ESR achieves APAC’s first WELL Gold Certification for logistics real estate and attains LEED Gold certification in South Korea

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA / HONG KONG, CHINA�- Media OutReach - 23 January 2020 - ESR Cayman Limited (“ESR” or the “Group”; SEHK Stock Code: 1821), the leading pan-Asia logistics platform and the largest owner of logistics stock by GFA and the largest development pipeline in the Seoul Metropolitan Area, has received APAC’s first WELL Gold Certification with the Bucheon Logistics Park in South Korea from International WELL Building Institute’s (IWBI) WELL Building Standard (WELL), for its outstanding achievements in creating a work environment that promotes health and wellness.

In addition to WELL, the Bucheon facility, together with the Goyang Logistics Park, have both attained the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Certification for their environmentally friendly initiatives.

Thomas Nam, CEO of ESR-Kendall Square, ESR’s South Korean platform, remarked, “Accelerating e-commerce growth has spurred a rising demand for modern, large-scale logistics facilities in the country, in particular among multinational companies and major local corporations, for which sustainability is an increasingly prime consideration. In meeting this growing need, we have taken the initiative to provide sustainable, high-performing facilities for our clients. 

“We are very proud to be the first logistics property developer in APAC to be awarded the WELL Gold certification. Together with the LEED Gold certification, these accolades are a testament to our enduring commitment to promoting sustainability and providing best-in-class logistics properties that help our people and our clients thrive.”

WELL, a globally recognised performance-based rating system, assesses building design and performance for human health and wellness in work environment. The Gold certification process has stringent focus on ten key factors: air, water, nourishment, light, movement, thermal comfort, sound, materials, mind, and community with a significant enhancement on the well-being of employees.   

Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED is an internationally recognised symbol of excellence for sustainable development which assesses green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.

ESR’s state-of-the-art logistics facilities are noted for their approach to sustainability from planning to implementation. The facilities in Bucheon and Goyang introduce a range of initiatives on energy and resource savings, recycling performance enhancement and environmental-impact reductions.

Energy efficient lighting, energy recovery ventilation, water efficient landscape and utilisation of water-use reduction components, to collection and storage of recyclables are just some of the sustainability and resilience features incorporated into the assets.

Moreover, on top of non-CFC refrigerant management and the use of low-emitting materials, fuel-efficient vehicle parking zone, car pool zone and bicycle storage are, among others, included to improve air quality.

Jeffrey Shen and Stuart Gibson, co-founders and co-CEOs of ESR, said, “Sustainability and the wellness of our people have always
been at the forefront of our strategic priorities. At ESR, we are dedicated
to delivering best-in-class properties and making a significant positive impact
on the communities and environment that we are in. By championing integrated
logistics warehousing solutions, we will continue to drive and take the innovation
and development of the logistics real estate industry to the next level with
the highest quality facilities.”

Committed to its recently published Sustainability Policy, ESR’s high
quality logistics assets across the APAC region have received recognition for
their high standard of sustainability performance. This includes numerous LEED certified
buildings within the portfolio, in addition to, ABINC (The Association for
Business Innovation in harmony with Nature and Community) and
CASBEE (Comprehensive Assessment System for Built Environment Efficiency) certifications
in Japan.

In
addition to the WELL and LEED certifications, ESR also attained a 5 Star rating
in the 2019 GRESB benchmark.