SM SUPERMALLS pledges support for Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) at World Environment Day where committed private sector partners gathered to present their various programs to protect the environment and promote sustainability nationwide. From L-R: Makilala Mining Head of Information Management Judy Rola, Makilala Mining Head of Mining Patrique Jane Duran, San Miguel Corporation Project Manager Jimmy Lu, Marubeni Philippines President Shimoda Shigeru, DENRSecretary Maria Antonia Loyzaga, Holcim Philippines President Horia Adrian, SM Supermalls Senior Vice President for Operations Bien Mateo, DMCI Mining President Tulsi Das Reyes, Best Inc. Senior Vice President Jan Vincent Mercado, and Plastic Credit Exchange Founder Nanette Medved-Po.
SM celebrated World Environment Day together with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) with a pledge of support and a meeting on ‘Blazing New Trails and Building a Shared Future with DENR’s Strategic Partners’. Led by DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Loyzaga, the private sector underscored the importance of working together towards a sustainable future, and highlighted their initiatives towards safeguarding the country’s environment and natural resources.
SM Prime Holdings, led by its sustainability champion Mr. Hans Sy, has long put in place initiatives to ensure the company’s operations are sustainable and environmentally friendly.
SM Supermalls Senior Vice President for Operations Bien Mateo said, “As we celebrate World Environment Day, on behalf of the SM family, you have our commitment that we will continue to embrace sustainability in everything we do as a company to protect the environment for the future generation of Filipinos.” As one of DENR’s strategic partners, Mr. Mateo highlighted SM’s initiatives on energy conservation, solid waste reduction, and water conservation, among others.
To contribute to energy efficiency, SM uses LED lights in all its properties and maintains 50% of its electricity supply from renewable sources. Likewise, SM’s 17 malls with solar power installations were able to generate 20.165 megawatts of peak energy. SM has supported Earth Hour for the last 15 years, and its participation in the Global Lights Switch Off has resulted in conserved energy equivalent to CO2 emissions from over 400,000 individual smartphones charged.
SM’s solid waste management initiatives have helped divert trash from ending up in landfills and large bodies of water. These include its flagship program, Trash to Cash Recycling Market, which has collected more than 1 million recyclables a year; the daily collection of solid waste in 14 malls in partnership with Friends of HOPE; electronic waste collection booths in Cyberzone and designated mall areas; and regular coastal and community clean up drives.
