Michael Barry, Head of Sustainable Business Operations at Bloomberg explains how and why we create workspaces that energize employees, promote innovation and are also eco-friendly...
'Design is a core component of our culture, and so is sustainability. Every decision we make around our building design takes into consideration operational efficiency and environmental sustainability.
As of year-end 2018, Bloomberg has 39 office spaces that are environmentally certified: 17 of our spaces have achieved LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum (the highest rating), another 21 have achieved LEED Gold (the second highest rating), and 1 received a BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) rating of “Outstanding,” the system’s highest rating.
Buildings with LEED or BREEAM certifications have been designed and constructed to reduce energy and water usage, promote better indoor air quality and reduce the environmental impact of construction materials and waste.
The new Bloomberg European Headquarters office in London, which features a “living wall,” received a BREEAM score of 98.5% – the highest design-stage score ever achieved by any major office development in the world
“When seeking new Bloomberg office locations and spaces, our group always keeps sustainability considerations in our search criteria — to ensure that all new office developments, refurbishments and expansions are certified or built to LEED or BREEAM standards.” says Peter Smith, Global Head of Real Estate, Capital & Design.
Bloomberg News bureau in Budapest received LEED Platinum certification in 2014
Our sustainable offices
Developing a large portfolio of environmentally-certified office spaces is an important component of our facilities strategy. Our first LEED project was the San Francisco Pier 3 office, which achieved LEED Gold certification in 2008. Today, about 75% of our employees work in LEED or BREEAM certified office spaces.
“We are creating global workplaces that our employees can be proud of coming into every day. It’s not just a reflection of our commitment to minimize our environmental impact, but also our company culture to encourage productivity and collaboration facilitated by well-thought-out design,” says Peter.
Our São Paulo office is LEED Platinum certified and features open meeting areas.
The impact of a smarter, cleaner business
LEED and BREEAM certification sets high standards for sustainable building operations. Curtis Ravenel, Global Head of Sustainable Business & Finance explains, “Our environmentally certified offices reduce operating costs and our environmental impact, while improving the health and well-being of the occupants — fitting perfectly with our commitment to sustainability.”
For example, the bathroom and pantry fixtures we installed have reduced potable water usage by 37%, resulting in an estimated annual savings of nearly 5 million gallons of water.
Bloomberg pantry in the 120 Park New York office, a LEED Gold certified building.
Our lighting power has been reduced by 25%, saving an estimated 8 million kWh to date — the equivalent of the annual electricity use of 987 homes. We also diverted 841% of total waste away from landfills and are targeting 90% diversion by 2020.
On top of that, we as employees can make a difference in our communities. “Our office spaces are designed to help reduce our consumption of materials, encouraging employees to recycle and compost waste. A practice that many employees incorporate into their personal lives,” says Curtis. Bloomberg currently has composting programs in 18 offices, engaging 81.2% of our employees in our composting efforts.
Third-party sustainability certifications are a prime example of a best-in-class standard being put to use at Bloomberg that makes sense for business and the community.