SM Prime Holdings will concentrate in pushing green development projects in all its malls instead of getting carbon trading, according to its chief executive.

“Carbon trading requires a lot of paper work. For us, the most important thing is really to deliver the message that promoting sustainable development is key to achieve a cleaner and brighter future,” said SM Prime Holdings Inc president Hans Sy during an interview in the sidelines during SM Supermalls’ first Green Film Festival   .

Sy also said practicing green measures has enabled the company to be steady in the challenging times specifically when the price of power went up. .

Sy said SM group benefited a lot when it started implementing energy saving programs. “We were fortunate we pursued green and energy savings program because it gave us a strong position in the market when power rates went up,” said Sy.

Carbon trading is the process of buying and selling carbon credits. In the scheme, big companies or organizations are assigned a quota of carbon that they are allowed to emit. If a company’s emissions are less than its quota, then it is allowed to sell credits.  However, if companies exceeded the standard emissions, they will need to buy carbon credits.

Sy said the Sky Garden located in SM North EDSA complex signifies the company’s thrust of pushing a green environment in all its malls. “We just didn’t put plants and other greeneries in the Sky Garden but we developed a environment where people can experience a soothing and conducive environment,” said Sy.

Sy stressed the Sky Garden also put into its design a cost-effective means to flood reduction due to their unique, environment-friendly features. Sky Garden catches rainwater that is subsequently recycled for landscaping and car park maintenance.

Asked about the planned construction of a coal-fired power plant in Iloilo, Sy said the proponents of the plant and environmental groups must talk together and find solutions that will achieve a win-win situation.

Sy said the two sides have raised valid points about the issues raised by the two parties. As far as the proponents are concerned, Sy said they must ensure that safety and mitigating mechanisms must be installed in the plant to lessen the impact of the operation on the environment.

He said failure to achieve a viable solution will have a bad impact on the economy of Iloilo. “Failure to reach a solution might lead to the use generator sets which will be too costly for the business,” he said.

“Business might be forced to slow down or stop their operations which will have a negative impact on the employment in the province,” he added.