Corporate Accountability
Regarding All Three Dimensions of Sustainability
Launched in 1999, the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes are the first global indexes tracking the financial performance of the leading sustainability-driven companies worldwide and providing asset managers with reliable and objective benchmarks to manage sustainability portfolios. ProLogis was added to the North American and World indexes in September 2008, placing it among a select group of firms recognized for their commitment to sustainability.
The FTSE4Good Index, established jointly by The Financial Times and the London Stock Exchange, measures the performance of companies that meet globally recognized corporate responsibility standards. It was launched in response to demand from investors for more information about companies focused on corporate social responsibility. FTSE4Good intends to support the evolution and improvement of corporate practice in the areas of environmental and social responsibility. ProLogis has been a member of this index since 2005.
Launched in 1990, the Domini 400 is one of seventeen indexes developed by KLD Research & Analytics, Inc., the leading provider of environmental, social and governance research for institutional investors. KLD indexes are used by investment managers to integrate environmental, social and governance criteria into their investment decisions. ProLogis’ listing on the Domini 400 since May 2006 places it among 400 publicly traded companies that have met certain standards of social and environmental excellence, including employee and human relations, product safety, environmental safety and corporate governance.
In addition to Domini 400, ProLogis is a member of eight more KLD indexes:
- KLD Catholic Values 400 Index
- KLD Broad Market Social Index
- KLD Large Cap Social Index
- KLD Large-Mid Cap Social Index
- KLD Global Sustainability Index
- KLD North America Sustainability Index
- KLD Dividend Achievers Social Index
- KLD Select Social Index
Regarding Environmental Stewardship – Corporate Focus
The Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) is the world’s first and North America’s only voluntary, legally binding, greenhouse gas emission reduction registry and trading program. As an Associate Member in CCX, ProLogis is required to completely offset the “carbon footprint” associated with its business operations in the U.S.
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a nonprofit organization composed of industry leaders working to create buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to work. As a USGBC member, ProLogis is part of a community of more than 15,000 member organizations, all striving to build green buildings and the bottom line. The USGBC is best known as the developer of the LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Building Rating System™ the de facto standard for certifying and ranking sustainable development in North America.
ProLogis’ membership in the USGBC has had a profound influence on its North American sustainable design and construction practices. In addition to having a number of LEED Accredited Professionals in its Development Management team, the company has a portfolio of over 13 million square feet (1.2 million square meters) of buildings that are either LEED certified or registered for certification, not counting its own global headquarters.
In early 2008, ProLogis was accepted as a partner in ENERGY STAR, a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) that aims to protect the environment through energy-efficient practices and products. As a partner, we pledge to assess our current energy consumption and operating and maintenance practices, as well as identify strategies that will continually improve energy performance enterprise-wide.
Regarding Environmental Stewardship – Development Focus
Administered by the USGBC, LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the nationally accepted benchmark for rating the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings in the United States. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in six rating categories: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, indoor environmental quality, and innovation and design process. All ProLogis buildings in the U.S. developed since January 2008 have been designed for LEED submittal; ProLogis buildings regularly rate as LEED Certified, LEED Silver or LEED Gold.
BREEAM (Building Research Establishment’s Environmental Assessment Method) is the world’s longest-standing and most widely used environmental assessment method for buildings. Originating in the U.K., it sets the standard for best practice in sustainable development and demonstrates a level of achievement. It has become the vocabulary used to describe a building’s environmental performance in a number of countries, with ratings ranging from “Pass” to “Good,” “Very Good” and “Excellent.” As in the United States, U.K. developments since April 2008 have been submitted for registration; the rating ProLogis typically registers for is “Excellent.”
CASBEE (Comprehensive Assessment System for Built Environmental Efficiency) is a labeling tool based on the environmental performance of buildings, nationally authorized in Japan by a cooperative academic, industrial and governmental project. Levels range from C (the lowest) to B-, B+, A and S (superior). ProLogis developments typically achieve “A” ratings.