Oxford is committed to being a leader in the development of low-carbon buildings. A significant source of carbon emissions occurs during the development process through the building materials supply chain. Over the last two years Oxford’s platform business, Investa, has set out to reduce the carbon footprint of its capital improvement programs.
Investa has developed a carbon calculator tool to assist in the material selection process for fit-outs and upgrades. The tool provides designers and contractors with a carbon budget and materials database that shows the carbon emissions released through the extraction, manufacturing, and transportation of materials—referred to as embodied carbon. This tool allows for informed decisions to be made when selecting materials that help lower the building’s carbon footprint. In the last two years, Investa has tripled its materials database due to the increase in low carbon materials available in the market.
Examples of carbon savings achieved during capital works projects include:
38% reduction in CO2-e by eliminating ceilings
15% CO2-e savings using carbon neutral carpet
8% CO2-e savings using low carbon ceiling tiles
10% to 50% CO2-e reductions from the re-use of ceiling structures
50% CO2-e reduction through extensive use of re-purposed structural steel
These savings can add up significantly. In one fit-out project alone, Investa found that the project achieved an overall carbon reduction of 38%. In addition, seven other capital upgrade projects exceeded the initial embodied carbon reduction target applied.
Oxford fit-outs and upgrades prioritize low-carbon materials
Oxford fit-outs and upgrades prioritize low-carbon materials
Oxford fit-outs and upgrades prioritize low-carbon materials
Extending our reach through responsible procurement
Oxford is on a journey to lead our industry in managing resources responsibly and works diligently to critically evaluate the materials and resources we procure and use. Currently, five of Oxford’s GTA retail sites, namely Yorkdale, Scarborough Town Centre (STC), Square One (SQ1), Upper Canada Mall (UCM), and Hillcrest are piloting an ESG procurement checklist. The purpose of the pilot is to ask Oxford’s suppliers about their ESG practices and policies. Collecting this information will provide Oxford with information to critically evaluate the ESG performance of suppliers and select suppliers that align with Oxford’s ESG priorities.
The ESG procurement checklist covers three key themes:
ESG strategy
Climate change
Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)
The questions cover whether the supplier has an environment-friendly purchasing program, makes net-zero commitments and tracks diversity metrics of its workforce. Asking these questions allows Oxford to not only influence its operations but also its supply chain which creates a much larger impact. We are committed to bringing our suppliers and partners along on our ESG journey.
A selection of Oxford’s GTA retail sites
A selection of Oxford’s GTA retail sites
A selection of Oxford’s GTA retail sites
A selection of Oxford’s GTA retail sites
A selection of Oxford’s GTA retail sites
Waste reduction training leads to results
This past year, Scarborough Town Centre (STC) and Yorkdale partnered up with a third-party waste diversion specialist to provide insight on waste management. Representatives inspected waste and recycling areas and provided waste removal training to all staff and tenants. Nearly 500 staff and tenants across both shopping centres were engaged in this initiative!
As a direct result of this initiative, STC’s waste audit found that 1,710,000 lbs of recyclable material were diverted from landfills in 2021. This contributed to an overall waste diversion rate of 54%. This is equivalent to saving 5,370 mature trees from being cut down and saving enough water to fill over three Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Yorkdale’s waste management training specifically focused on single-use plastics education and auditing. The training resulted in over 75% of tenants transitioning away from single-use plastic shopping bags and over 60% providing a reusable alternative for shoppers. Each tenant was provided with an individual single-use plastics scorecard that highlighted the procurement areas they will need to target.
STC and Yorkdale strive to continually improve their waste management system while finding effective ways to create a sustainable environment. This initiative is now planned to take place annually with next year’s focus on food court tenant awareness. With continued dedication from staff and tenants, these major retail centres can reduce its collective environmental footprint and push industry forward in sustainability!
Retail properties in the GTA have reduced waste sent to landfill
Retail properties in the GTA have reduced waste sent to landfill
Retail properties in the GTA have reduced waste sent to landfill
Retail properties in the GTA have reduced waste sent to landfill
Working towards a circular economy with 100% waste diversion
Diverting waste from landfills helps to conserve resources, preserve biodiversity and reduce air and water pollution. At Oxford, our team understands the importance of increasing waste diversion and is committed to diverting waste from landfills and incineration.
MidCity Place in London continues to set an exemplary standard for waste diversion across our office portfolio. For the last four years, MidCity Place has maintained a 100% waste diversion rate. This means that none of the property’s waste ends up in landfills!
In 2021, over 40,000 kg of waste was diverted into over 10 different streams that included batteries, cans and plastics, cardboard, coffee waste, glass, hazardous waste, IT equipment, mixed paper, confidential paper, biodegradables and e-waste. Based on the material type the waste is either recycled, anaerobically digested, or sent to a waste to energy facility.
The property team carefully sorts waste at an on-site recycling centre into different waste streams. Each bag of waste has a unique barcode that is scanned by the waste operator to track the weight and waste stream. The property team receives detailed monthly recycling reports that provide a breakdown of waste volume, material and diversion streams. This data is used to track monthly performance and identify further opportunities for improvement to the program.
Waste diversion is vital to the development of a circular economy. MidCity is just one example of Oxford’s contribution to industry leadership and learning.
The project began in 2011 when Oxford acquired the Riverbend lands (Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada). These lands are adjacent to the Big Bend section of the Fraser River. Prior to development, the lands contained a non-operational landfill and had been the site of former heavy industrial uses that extended along most of the shoreline.
As part of Oxford’s commitment, the development would remove the contaminated landfill material and perform site remediation, including innovative flood protection and stormwater management application, along with shoreline restoration. This project retained and improved the local habitat, restored physical processes along more than 1,000 metres of shoreline, and also retained and restored native shrub and tree vegetation, thereby increasing site diversity for local birds and amphibians. A wastewater treatment system was also installed to treat parking lot runoff entering the river. The team worked with local officials and consultants to develop an innovative flood protection dike that supports natural riparian function – demonstrating how cumulative impacts of developments can be minimized or avoided.
Public education signs are shared along the newly established shoreline, which is now home to a community trail. These signs describe the unique development’s work to preserve, restore, and enhance habitat and natural processes. See here for more details.
