The offices of Ferrer's headquarters, located in Barcelona, have achieved the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certificate, the highest category of an internationally prestigious seal awarded by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). In addition, our facility in Fremont, California, has been awarded LEED Gold certification. The recognition for the pharmaceutical laboratory comes after the implementation of practical and measurable solutions in areas such as the sustainable construction of physical spaces, water saving, energy efficiency, material selection and the quality of indoor environments.
Buildings constructed to USGBC-defined standards allow businesses to operate in a more environmentally friendly manner and provide their users with a healthy and comfortable space to work. "The renovations of Ferrer's historic offices are a reflection of our corporate strategy, which has among its fundamental pillars the well-being of people and the care of the planet. The works, which began in 2019, were carried out precisely with the aim of facilitating collaborative work and work flexibility among people linked to the company, a fundamental requirement to meet the objective of creating a culture based on trust and responsibility," says Marta Anglada, Head of Sustainability at Ferrer. "Obtaining both LEED seals guarantees the optimal performance of our spaces in terms of benefits for the environment and for the health of workers."
Among the key aspects that have allowed the headquarters of the pharmaceutical laboratory to obtain LEED Platinum certification, the efficiency in the use of water stands out through mechanisms that guarantee a saving of 60.8% in the consumption of water resources compared to the usual operation of these facilities, in addition to the reductions of 23.6% in electricity consumption and 51.3% in waste generation. On the other hand, 100% of the energy used by Ferrer's new offices comes from renewable sources, which contributes to the objective of eliminating dependence on fossil fuels and promoting the energy decarbonisation of the entire company.
In the case of the Fremont facilities, among the elements that have allowed the company to obtain LEED Gold certification are the reduction of more than 40% in water consumption through the installation of efficient taps and toilets, energy savings of 11% through the installation of efficient HVAC systems and LED lighting, recycling 73.6% of building materials and improving indoor air quality through the use of CO2 sensors in densely occupied spaces.
The pharmaceutical laboratory has added 83 points in the certification process for its offices in Barcelona, thus exceeding the threshold defined by USGBC that automatically grants the LEED Platinum seal, the most prestigious international seal for sustainable constructions. On the other hand, for its facilities in California, the score achieved was 62 points, achieving the LEED Gold certificate. "The results obtained and the achievement of this certification reinforce Ferrer's commitment to its strategy of managing business activity in a sustainable way, contributing to the well-being of people and protecting the planet on which we live," says Anglada. "Our roadmap plans to obtain LEED certification for all our operating centers with an area of more than 1,000 m2."
LEED certification represents a tool that provides the possibility of achieving long-term benefits in the life cycle of buildings for better energy performance, with the consequent well-being of the users of the building and the planet. "Innovative construction projects like Ferrer's represent a critical impetus to transform the way buildings are designed, constructed, and therefore used," said Peter Templeton, USGBC President and CEO. "Buildings that achieve LEED certification reduce carbon emissions into the atmosphere, operating costs and resource use, while prioritizing people's health and sustainability practices. Thanks to Ferrer, we have increased the number of sustainable constructions and are getting closer to the goal of surpassing that of conventional buildings, which also makes us environmentally and socially responsible for improving the quality of life of future generations."
