As a world leader in logistics real estate, we strive to be an exemplary corporate citizen, to minimize our environmental impacts and to maximize beneficial outcomes for our stakeholders. Our environmental stewardship, social responsibility and governance (ESG) program is good business—benefiting our customers, investors, communities and employees. Good ESG practices support our corporate commitment to enduring excellence and advance our longstanding focus on outstanding customer service. We develop sustainable logistics real estate that reduces our customers’ operating expenses and our impact on the environment. We address energy, water, waste, and building materials responsibly. We collaborate with local organizations to support ecological, educational and social initiatives. And we encourage suppliers to observe our Supplier Code of Conduct. These aren’t aspirations—they are promises we fulfill. These three projects in the Benelux exemplify how we operate.
Real-Time Energy Consumption Data
Together with hello energy, Prologis Benelux developed a tool that shows real-time energy consumption, providing Prologis’ clients quick and continuous access to their energy data. This tool is now active in eight Prologis buildings in the Netherlands and provides:
- Detection and measurement of energy consumption with alerts of possible inconsistencies
- Monitoring, analyzing and benchmarking energy performance
- Collection of data for application in sector research and sustainability certification processes
- Interaction with stakeholders about building-related information concerning welfare, health and environment
Learn more about Prologis’ energy-saving tool.
Storing Sustainably Generated Energy
We believe it’s important to offer solutions that reduce the carbon footprint of our clients while helping their bottom line. Toward that end, Prologis is experimenting with storing sustainably generated energy at Park Venlo, where we capture surplus watts from solar panels for later use. We do this in collaboration with Nilar, a Swedish battery manufacturer whose products contain no heavy metals and are 99 percent recyclable.
This pilot project helps Prologis explore possible synergies between solar power and battery use. The system’s performance is monitored to analyze future methods for sustainable and cost-efficient energy storage, such as smart grids, peak shaving and maintaining reserve capacity.
Read more about the energy-storing pilot project at Park Venlo.
Creating Renewable Energy at a Prologis Construction Site
Approximately half of the total carbon emissions from distribution centers are generated during construction. As a result, we built an energy container at Prologis Park Eindhoven to supply the construction shed with 100 percent renewable energy.
We installed two wind turbines onsite and mounted 12 solar panels, in combination with a 10-kilowatt battery pack, to a 6-meter-long construction container. The configuration results in a stable energy supply with a high yield and zero emissions. We aim to observe the performance closely to learn how we can improve and implement this concept again in the future.
Read more about the Prologis energy container.
Global Sustainability Approach
We see sustainability as a global challenge and strive to minimize our environmental impacts around the world. Prologis strives to lead the industry in sustainable development with buildings designed to minimize waste, as well as energy and water use. Prologis has built 7 BREEAM-accredited warehouses in Benelux. We are also involved with the Dutch Green Building Council, and Prologis Tilburg DC5 is the first distribution center in the Benelux to participate in a pilot project with the International WELL Building Institute and help develop a standard for the health and well-being of employees working in logistics real estate.
Read more about our global approach to environmental stewardship, social responsibility and governance (ESG).
“For Prologis, sustainability is self-evident. Not only for contributing to a better environment: It makes our work more enjoyable and more interesting and also leads to better products. It’s a definite win-win situation for our clients, our investors, our employees, and of course for the environment,” says Arthur van Kooij, head of project management Northern Europe, Prologis.
If you’d like to learn more, please contact Arthur van Kooij.