Long before it was considered environmentally correct to go green, SM Prime Holdings and the SM Supermalls began numerous programs and projects, which SM Prime Holdings President Hans T. Sy says were ‘aimed at ensuring that our malls will have a beneficial impact on two of our most important fronts – the environment and the public.’

With 37 malls nationwide, SM plays a significant role in touching the lives of many Filipinos And this, in turn, ‘motivates and inspires us to continually explore and find ways where the SM Supermalls can contribute to raising the quality of life for our countrymen in a way that
is socially responsible and environmentally sustainable,’ says Sy.

One of the biggest challenges of a mall is managing Its consumption of power and energy water and solid materials, and it was important to make sure that all SM’s decisions would not create a negative impact on Its surroundings.

Shown in the pictures are SM Prime Holdings Inc president Hans T. Sy, and SM President Annie Garcia. With them is committee head AVP for Operations Lisa Silerio and members: (from Left-Right) Brand Marketing Manager Myla Murillo, SM City Pasig Mall Manager Raffy Maglalang, SM City Las Pinas Asst. Mall Manager Grace delos Santos, Architect Fides Garcia, SM City Lipa Mall Manager Lorenzo Dalingasa, Vangie Dupaya, SM Megamall’s Asst. Mall Manager Bel Bartolome, SM City Manila Mall Manager Bobby Fernando, SM City Pampanga Assistant Mall Manager John Lo and SM City Taytay’s Tenant Relation Officer Don Vijandre, Co Chairman Environment Committee Stephen Ong, Jojo Navera and Eman Magsino.
In 1997, SM began its waste management program with Sewage Treatment Plants. It also launched Solid Waste Management Initiatives, teaching its maintenance staff, mall tenants, and retailers to segregate their trash, significantly reducing the trash in the mall garage depots.

In 1999, it launched Energy Efficiency programs, and today has a Focus Enterprise Building Management System. which uses smart electronic climate control to manage the malls’ fluctuating energy demands during the day. Using this new system has allowed SM to save up to 50M kilowatt hours a year.

As more malls were built, Green Design initiatives were incorporated into its structure. Most of the new SM malls have skylights that allow natural sunlight to come in and help save on energy. And malls like SM City Baguio with its tensile roof and terraces like structure that allows the cool mountain air to come in; the Mall of Asia With its by the bay ambience; and SM City North-ED8A’s green roof in its Skygraden have not only brought designs out of the box, but have made them environmentally correct.

More recently, more green design initiatives can be seen in the clerestory fans in SM City Baliwag and SM City Rosario; as well as fan shades in SM City Naga.

SM has also incorporated Water Conservation in its malls, upgrading facilities to include tertiary treatment plans, which saves 2.5 billion liters of water a year. It also switched to waterless urinals in all SM malls, saving’ an additional 315 million liters of water every year.
SM also monitors its discharges to surface waters on a quarterly basis, in compliance with the Philippine Clean Water Act.

Through its Air Quality Efficiency Programs, SM Supermalls is committed to following the Clean Air Act of the Philippines, which encourages people and various institutions to help reduce air pollution. It has since become a No Smoking Mall. and requires smoke emission certificates from all PUVs authorized to use the mall’s transport terminals. 8M also promotes the use of bicycles by providing a safe and convenient place where they can park.

What began as efforts aimed at compliance of government policies and serving its customers better has since evolved into an advocacy to help save the environment. With the establishment of the SM Cares program in 2008, an Environmental Committee was formed to promote green initiatives.

Today, SM Supermalls has a holistic. four point approach to sustainability: tackling energy, air, water, and solid waste. This multi dimensional approach has allowed SM to closely monitor day• today green initiatives in the mall.

The Environmental Committee has also launched programs to create more awareness among its employees, tenants. These include Trash to Cash, a monthly recycling market fair: the Green Bag movement; the Green Retail Agenda, which creates awareness about environmentally friendly architecture; and the Green Film Festival, which screens movies focused on the environment

PARTNERSHIPS
Believing that there is strength in numbers, the SM Supermalls has also forged partnerships with government agencies like the Department of Energy, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Department of Health, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the Philippine National Police. It also works closely with the World Wide Fund for Nature, UNICEF, Earthday Network Philippines, the Philippine Business for the Environment. and the Council for the Welfare of the Children.

‘We have seen a tremendous outpouring of support from SM: says Department of Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes, and this to the government is very inspiring because a problem as big as climate change cannot be addressed by the government alone. We need the cooperation and support of all sectors in society. And SM has taken the lead in corporate social responsibility in ensuring a safer, cleaner and more sustainable environment for future generations.’

AWARDS
Various government and institutions have recognized the environmental efforts of the SM Supermalls. These include the Philippine Chamber of Commerce who cited SM with its E3 Award for Excellence in Ecology and Economy; the Don Abello Outstanding Awards for 2008 and 2009; and the Father Neri Satur Award as an environmental champion.

SM’s commitment to sustainability continues to be a work in progress. ‘Challenges will be ever present: says Mr. Hans T. Sy, ‘but we assure our valued customers, business partners and shareholders, and communities, that we will face these with commitment, determination. and focus.’