The IULIUS Group accelerates ESG policies implemented with the aim of creating sustainable projects useful to the community and stimulating the development of cities.
The milestones of 2022, which reflect the company’s effort in this direction, according to the 2022 Sustainability Report, are:
- 8 percent decrease in greenhouse gas emissions
- decrease in total energy consumption by 13 percent
- 34 percent reduction in waste disposed of through storage
IULIUS focuses its resources on the development of projects to contribute to the modernization of cities, care for the environment and building strong communities being a priority. With 1.2 billion euros invested in the urban regeneration projects Palas and Palas Campus in Iași and Iulius Town in Timișoara, the national network Iulius Mall (Iași, Suceava, Cluj), as well as in two Family Market proximity retail centers in Iași , IULIUS generated value and stimulated local development, attracting new investments through the business infrastructure created. “We continuously integrate the newest solutions in the field of sustainability. All buildings have green certifications, we use materials with low carbon emissions, reduce energy consumption through photovoltaic panels, run projects that support education and entrepreneurship. Last but not least, we love nature and bring it to the center of our projects so that the world has quick access to it. The future will be even greener, because even in the mixed-use projects we propose, in Cluj and Constanța, nature will be the central element”, said Dan Adrian Chelaru, Group Sustainability Officer IULIUS.
130 million euros in infrastructure solutions and alternative mobility
The concern for sustainability at IULIUS translates into the implementation of the “15-minute city” concept in the mixed projects, a space where the elements necessary to carry out the activity in an efficient way are found, where the distances between the workplace, shops, school, restaurants and parks can be walked or cycled, reducing time lost in traffic and pollution.
The company has invested 130 million euros in connectivity solutions, infrastructure, alternative mobility, the development of tracks and more than 1,000 bicycle parking spaces. In Palas, approximately 74 percent of the length of internal roads are intended for pedestrian traffic, and in Iulius Town Timișoara, 43 percent. In addition, on the ground floor of the office buildings there are showers and changing rooms for those who come to the office by bicycle.
The IULIUS Group supports the adoption of electric mobility, and in 2022, the network of charging stations for electric vehicles will reach 49 points.
Urban garden on 45 percent of the area of Palas Iasi
Care for the environment is found in all IULIUS projects. Each project in the portfolio, retail or office, has green certifications or is in the process of certification, which attests to the high level of performance in accordance with international principles of efficiency and sustainability. Regarding the energy performance certificates, of all the buildings, 68 percent received the maximum score (100 points), and 32 percent have values between 98-99 points.
Palas Campus Iasi stands out, being in two certification processes – EDGE and LEED. The project obtained, in 2021, the first green credit in Romania, from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a division of the World Bank. Palas is the only project in Central and Eastern Europe to receive LEED® Neighborhood Development certification for the positive impact on the community and the sustainable way the buildings were designed and constructed.
A particularity of IULIUS projects is the high percentage of green spaces. The company has created, through investments of over 17 million euros, 13 hectares of urban gardens. Only in Palas, green spaces represent over 45 percent of the total area. The gardens in Iași, Cluj-Napoca and Timișoara have become anchors for the community, places for spending free time, which host around 1,000 performances annually.
As for household waste, IULIUS managed to reduce it by 31 percent compared to 2019 and increase the volume of recyclable waste by 28 percent compared to the same year. The medium-term objective is to decrease by more than 50 percent the waste eliminated through storage. For this purpose, in 2022, the “IULIUS – Zero Waste Program” was launched, through which the reduction of the amount of waste generated, both at the organizational level and in relations with partners and suppliers, is aimed at. At the same time, a pilot program aimed at composting organic waste from each shopping center was implemented.
Carbon footprint reduction strategy with IFC
In 2022, IULIUS signed a partnership with IFC to develop a strategy to decarbonize the company’s entire portfolio and reach the target of net-zero emissions.
In terms of involvement in the community, IULIUS has carried out numerous actions in the field of environmental protection, such as afforestation campaigns, paper recycling, reuse of clothing items and promotion of alternative mobility, charitable actions, blood donation campaigns and partnerships to support sports events.
IULIUS continued, in 2022, the internship program, to which 129 students applied. Seven of the selected students were employed at the end of the internship.
