Hammerson announces that Elliott’s Field Phase II, Rugby, has achieved two sustainability world firsts, having been awarded an interim Outstanding BREEAM rating in addition to becoming the first shopping park globally designed to be carbon neutral.
These achievements follow Hammerson’s recent commitment to becoming Net Positive by 2030, and mark a significant milestone in its carbon objectives. Over the next 13 years, Hammerson aims to remove a total of 757,200 tonnes of carbon emissions from its operations, equivalent to the annual carbon emissions of 85,000 households. Whilst the overall targets are stretching, the successful creation of a carbon neutral park sets a new benchmark for the industry.
BREEAM is the world’s leading sustainability assessment method for masterplanning projects, infrastructure and buildings. BREEAM certified developments are sustainable environments that enhance the well-being of the people who live and work in them. Outstanding is the highest accreditation, achieved by less than one percent of new non-domestic buildings, and indicates that the developer embraced sustainability from the outset. Elliott’s Field Phase I, which opened in 2015, achieved a BREEAM Excellent rating, marking the first shopping park in Hammerson’s UK portfolio to receive this accreditation.
Elliott’s Field Phase II has been designed to be carbon neutral in terms of its regulated consumption, with energy efficiency measures reducing the carbon emissions created by such sources as heating, hot water and cooling and on site renewable energy initiatives offsetting the remaining carbon emissions.
Initiatives at Elliott’s Field Phase II include:
- Passive design features to minimise energy demands including optimised fabric parameters
- Agreements with retailers to fit out units with energy efficient systems
- A number of design variations to reduce the embodied carbon emissions including the incorporation of timber to replace steel and aluminum, acting as a carbon sink
- Installation of a major PV array on the rooftop to offset all remaining regulated emissions
- Sourcing of materials with environmental accountability
- Creation of a canal bankside nature area for wildlife to enhance the site’s ecological value
Andrew Berger-North, Director, UK Retail Parks at Hammerson, said, “Elliott’s Field Phase II marks a huge step forward for the business in its Net Positive sustainability objectives, and being credited with two world firsts is a fantastic result, demonstrative of the business’ dedication to its ambitious targets. Phase I set a benchmark for our portfolio and for the industry as a whole, and achieving BREEAM Outstanding for Phase II has made raised the bar even higher. It is clear that with the implementation of forward thinking initiatives, and by encouraging retailers and contractors to get on board, we can achieve exceptional results and make a positive impact.”
Louise Ellison, Head of Sustainability at Hammerson commented, “Net Positive builds on the sustainability work that the business has achieved in the last ten years, pushing teams to go the extra mile to make a real difference across our four key pillars. To receive an Outstanding BREEAM Rating for Elliott’s Field Phase II and be recognised as the world’s first carbon neutral shopping park demonstrates our commitment to the Net Positive targets and is a very positive indication of what we can achieve by 2030.”
