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HCP executive highlights board backing and Energy Star benchmarks
The medical office REIT says it cut energy use 15% between 2007 and 2012 and grew Energy Star-rated buildings from 1 in 2006 to 121.
Health care REIT HCP, Inc. executive vice president Tom Klaritch said board and executive management support are critical to building and sustaining the company’s sustainability program, speaking in a video interview with REIT.com at NAREIT’s 2014 Leader in the Light Working Forum in San Francisco.
Klaritch also pointed to HCP’s early involvement with the Energy Star program, which began in 2005, saying it gave the company a benchmark to measure progress over time. He added that HCP’s participation in NAREIT’s Leader in the Light program helped further its efforts.
According to Klaritch, HCP expanded its sustainability approach in 2011 by adding social and governance “pillars,” including publishing a supplier code of conduct for its vendors. He said the company focuses on energy consumption and building certifications, including tracking Energy Star performance from 2007 to 2012, when it reduced energy consumption by 15% in buildings benchmarked through the program.
Klaritch noted HCP has increased the number of Energy Star-labeled buildings, growing from 1 Energy Star-rated building in 2006 to 121, and said the company is increasing the share of properties certified under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED program. He also said future challenges will include staying on top of new and existing energy efficiency equipment, after HCP has addressed most “low-hanging fruit” in its operations.