WDP Romania achieves Edge certification across 48 sheds

The certification drive is part of a plan to proactively reduce the carbon footprint of the firm's portfolio and improve the tenant experience.

The Edge system was created by IFC, part of the World Bank, to help property owners and developers build and operate green buildings in a fast and affordable way.

It is supported by free software that encourages solutions to reduce energy, water and embodied energy in materials by at least 20%, which is the minimum standard for Edge certification.

Edge has been applied to 48 logistics buildings in the WDP Romania portfolio, with warehouses ranging in size from 2,500 m2 to more than 60,000 m2.

Norbert Padt, group marketing manager, WDP said: 'Sustainability is important to us, and we want to bring the value of resource-efficient warehouses to our tenants.

'Edge has helped bring international best practice to our developments across Romania and allows us to show our commitment to sustainability through an internationally recognised green building certification scheme.'

'Tenants also benefit from reduced utility costs in Edge certified buildings, creating a win-win for all parties,' said Eleni Polychroniadou, commercial director at Sintali, global Edge certification partner.

Mihai Budurca, project manager, WDP Romania, said: 'The Edge application is well suited to help companies apply green building certification across a portfolio of buildings.

'The Edge App helped us determine the most cost-effective options for designing green, and we were able to find an efficient process to evaluate and certify all 40 buildings in less than six months.'

The adoption of Edge was linked to a green financing package from IFC, and financial agreement between the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and WDP.

Edge certificates are displayed at WDP sites in Romania, and the company will be using Edge standards to design and build new sites across the country.