Leiria, January 20th 2010
Environmental and Safety & Health certification
LeiriaShopping to be opened on March 25th
- LeiriaShopping has 97% of its GLA already let
- The Centre's Environmental Management System was certified under standard ISO 14001, for the construction stage
- First shopping centre in Europe certified in Safety & Health, under the OHSAS 18001 standard, in the construction stage
LeiriaShopping, Sonae Sierra's new shopping centre in Leiria, will open its doors on March 25th. This development, which represents an investment of about €79 million, has 44,395 m2 of gross lettable area (GLA), 97% of which is already let, confirming the project's success.
LeiriaShopping will make available a total of 124 shops, combining prestigious national and international brands with local brands. Of the vast tenant mix we highlight the Continente Hypermarket, Sportzone and Worten, already in operation. The nine large dimension shops include seven Castello Lopes cinemas and the FNAC, Zara, H&M, C&A and Modalfa brands. Other brands present include Lanidor, Sacoor, Tintoretto, Springfield, Woman Secret, Pull & Bear, Bershka, Loja do Gato Preto, Boutique dos Relógios, Bertrand, O Boticário, Parfois, Tiffosi, Multiópticas, Samsonite, Golden Point, O Celeiro, Casa das Peles, Haity, General Óptica and Natura, as well as 19 restaurants including McDonald's, Pizza Hut and Portugália that reinforce the variety and quality of the commercial offer this centre will bring to the region.
Environmental and Safety & Health Certifications
Like all shopping centres developed by Sonae Sierra, LeiriaShopping was designed according to the Company's Environmental Management System, and a specific Environmental Management System was implemented with the purpose of minimizing the impacts during the development stage.
This effort was recently acknowledged, as LeiriaShopping earned the ISO 14001 certification, for the rigorous compliance with the most demanding quality requirements the company imposes on all of its developments, namely in terms of comfort, safety, and especially the protection of the Environment. Since 2004, this is the 20th ISO 14001 certification obtained by Sonae Sierra for the construction of a development according to its Environmental Management System.
To obtain environmental certification ISO 14001, Sonae Sierra's commitment to a sustainable environmental management was essential, namely in vital areas such as energy savings, the quality and consumption of water, the monitoring of air quality and noise, and the selective separation and recycling of waste, proven throughout the entire construction process of LeiriaShopping.
During the construction stage of the centre, environmental goals were also set, including monthly and final objectives in terms of waste recycling. By the end of December 2009, the waste recycling rate was at 99,28 %, which means that nearly all waste from the construction site was treated, reused, or valued. We also highlight the fact that for the construction of this centre, about 57,500 m3 of waste from demolition, disassembly and excavation works were also reused. This waste would otherwise have been sent to a landfill.
To achieve the ultimate objective of a good environmental performance, the involvement and collaboration of every employee was essential, and an evaluation system of the efficiency of training actions was put in place, to find out if every employee understood and employed the environmental rules in their daily work.
We also got involved with the local community, with the creation of the LeiriaShopping Community Panel, an important tool that allows Sonae Sierra to interact with the local community, through the presentation of the performance and environmental objectives of the centre's construction, and the welcoming of the population's concerns regarding the environment, among other issues.
In terms of Safety and Health at Work, LeiriaShopping became the first shopping centre in Europe to be certified, during the construction stage, under the OHSAS 18001:2007 standard (Safety and Health at Work Management System).
This certification acknowledges the importance of Sonae Sierra's Safety and Health System, implemented during the construction of the centre, which reduces accidents by continuously monitoring the working conditions on site, and systematically identifying improvement opportunities.
About Sonae Sierra
Sonae Sierra, http://www.sonaesierra.com/, is an international shopping centre specialist, with a passion for bringing innovation and excitement to the shopping centre industry. The Company owns 52 Shopping Centres in Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany, Greece, Romania and Brazil, with a total Gross Lettable Area (GLA) of more than 2 million m2. Currently, Sonae Sierra has 2 projects under construction and 10 new projects in different phases of completion in Portugal, Italy, Germany, Greece, Romania and Brazil. In 2008 our Shopping Centres had more than 429 million visits.