MERLIN Properties Annual Report 2019 / English

68 | Annual Report | 2019 ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE OF MERLIN PROPERTIES’ PORTFOLIO MERLIN manages the environmental impact of those assets over which it has operational control. In this respect, it controls 123 assets in the offices portfolio, 15 shopping centres and 20 logistics assets, which together represent 61% of the total portfolio (in terms of GAV). Additionally, even though MERLIN has no operational control, the company, following its efforts of expanding its scope of reporting progressively, has information on the environmental performance of 8 office assets and 6 logistics assets. Regarding waste generation, MERLIN includes all hazardous and non-hazardous waste generated in the assets included in its ISO 14001 certified Corporate Environmental Management System (except for those cases in which management is assumed by owner’s communities) and, during 2019 has extended its coverage to other properties not included in that Management System. Energy consumption The energy consumed reported includes the portfolio of offices, shopping centres and logistics assets. This consumption primarily relates to the electricity from the grid as well as the amount of fuel (diesel or natural gas) consumed at certain offices and shopping centres. Energy consumption from Like for Like assets amounted to 398,844 GJ in 2019, with offices accounting for 61.8%, shopping centres for 38.0% and logistics assets for the remaining. This represents a slight decrease of 0.6% compared with the previous year, mainly originated by the reduction of this type of consumption in shopping centres in the Like for Like portfolio. In the office asset portfolio, consumption in Like for Like terms amounted to 246,651 GJ. Of this amount, electricity consumption has accounted for 70.5%, natural gas for 26.3% and diesel for 3.2%. Compared with the previous year, consumption has increased in a 3.0%, primarily as a result of the rise in occupancy rates in these assets, the greater temperatures registered in the summer period, as well as changes in the humidification system of certain properties. Consumption in shopping centres in Like for Like terms amounted to 151,674 GJ, which represents a decrease of 5.9% compared with the previous year. This fall in consumption is largely attributed to the optimisation of the air-conditioning systems and the replacement of conventional lighting with LED at the Arturo Soria and Larios shopping centres where repositioning work was carried out. Consumption is divided into electricity consumption (89.7%) and natural gas consumption (10.3%), Lastly, with respect to logistics assets, energy consumption in Like for Like terms relates solely to electricity consumption. There is no record of fuel consumption in this portfolio. In 2019, electricity consumption amounted to 519 GJ, which represents a decrease of a 29.8%, primarily due to the replacement of conventional lighting with LED in the Valencia- Almussafes asset. In absolute terms, energy consumption in assets in 2019 amounted to 476,672 GJ, including offices (64.6% of the total), shopping centres (33.0%) and logistics assets (2.4%). This increase in total consumption represents an increase of 9.2% compared with 2018, which mainly derives from the increment of this type of consumption in office assets. Precisely in the office asset portfolio, energy consumption in absolute terms has increased to 307,809 GJ corresponding primarily to electricity consumption, which accounts for 74.3% of the total, while natural gas and diesel consumption accounted for 22.9% and 2.8%, respectively. Compared with the previous year, energy consumption has risen by a 12.2%, largely as a result of the increase in the total area of the assets included in the scope of the calculation of energy consumption, combined with the growth in occupancy rates of this type of assets.