Helexia Portugal supports Leroy Merlin in implementing Breeam Certification in 13 brand stores – Hipersuper

Helexia Portugal is supporting Leroy Merlin in implementing the Breeam Certification (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) in 13 of the brand’s stores. In Portugal, currently, in addition to the mandatory energy certificate, there are other more complete forms of certification for properties that, in addition to assessing energy performance, seek to evaluate the sustainability of a building from various perspectives, with Breeam certification being one of these certifications. .

Although it is not a mandatory certification, the retailer decided to implement it, with the help of Helexia in 13 of the brand’s stores. Currently, there are already seven certified stores: Leiria, Albufeira, Loulé, Braga, Funchal, Alta de Lisboa and Setúbal; two stores with an ongoing certification process: Aveiro, Sintra; and four more stores whose process is about to begin: Gaia, Matosinhos, Alfragide and Gondomar. In the Albufeira and Funchal stores, Helexia worked together with Cushman & Wakefield, which acted as an advisor in carrying out these certifications.

“At Helexia we support all companies on the path to decarbonization, which also includes this type of certifications. We analyze all parameters that can be improved and work side by side with companies to implement the personalized project we create, thus ensuring that they achieve the desired certification. With this certification, Lerpy Merlin reinforces its positioning as a retail store concerned with its ecological footprint.” underlines Marta Jordão, business line manager of energy services at Helexia, in a statement.

Regarding the partnership with Helexia, Edgar Malato, responsible for technical projects, maintenance and safety at Leroy Merlin Portugal, states: “we firmly believe that the success of our business is intrinsically linked to our commitment to environmental sustainability and social responsibility. This partnership with Helexia not only allows us to achieve the environmental goals we set out to achieve, but also strengthens our position as retail stores committed to a greener and more sustainable future, helping us to differentiate ourselves from our main competitors .”.

This certification assesses the environmental performance of buildings in several categories, such as energy, water, materials, waste, health and well-being, transport, land use and environment, and aims to promote sustainable construction practices, reducing the environmental impact of buildings by throughout its life cycle, from planning to construction, operation and maintenance, being one of the main tools used by architects, engineers, real estate companies and building owners to demonstrate their commitment to sustainable construction.

A recent study by Cushman & Wakefield concludes that at national level there are more and more companies investing in this type of sustainable certifications, but Breeam are the ones with the greatest expression, with around 117 certified buildings, of which 90% relate to buildings in use and almost half referring to the retail sector. Based on these values, Leroy Merlin will represent more than 20% of certifications related to retail in Portugal.