IKEA Japan Co., Ltd.
IKEA Maebashi becomes the first IKEA store in Japan to receive LEED GOLD(R) certification
The most environmentally friendly store in Japan, featuring
water-saving equipment and outdoor air flow monitoring.
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IKEA Japan Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Funabashi City, Chiba Prefecture, President and Chief Sustainability Officer) IKEA Maebashi, operated by Petra Farre, has recently acquired LEED GOLD(R) certification, an international green building certification system.
[Image: https://prtimes.jp/i/65734/268/resize/d65734-268-205b7a24cf5f2833feb1-0.png&s3=65734-268-7d8a4a187268435c845ef3e5c171e49d-2079×1169.png ]
LEED(R) (Leadership in Energy & Environment Design) is an
environmental performance evaluation system for buildings and urban environments developed and operated by the nonprofit organization United States Green Building Council (USGBC). IKEA Maebashi has received “LEED GOLD(R) certification” under “LEED BD+C (Building & Design) v4,” a green building certification system that evaluates the environmental performance of new buildings and large-scale renovations among six certification systems. Retrieved on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. Evaluation items include not only the building, but also the shops, facilities, and services surrounding the building, as well as the level of availability of public transportation.
IKEA is committed to the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit the rise in global temperatures to 1.5% above pre-industrial levels, and is growing our business by reducing absolute greenhouse gas emissions from all of our value chains by 2030. The goal is to reduce emissions by 50% compared to 2016 and achieve net zero by 2050 at the latest. As part of this, IKEA Maebashi, the 13th IKEA store in Japan that opened on January 18, 2024, aims to have a positive impact on the environment and society through store operations.・We opened as an IKEA store with the lowest environmental impact in Japan, consolidating Japan’s various sustainable initiatives, and obtained LEED
certification, which has been achieved globally.
Petra Farre, President and Chief Sustainability Officer, commented: “We are very proud that IKEA Maebashi has been able to obtain LEED certification this time, as it was achieved through the accumulation of efforts made one by one at our stores and distribution centers. In order to protect the earth, we would like to contribute to the environment and society through environmentally friendly store operations. Obtaining LEED GOLD (R) certification is just one step toward continuing to live at home. As a partner, we aim to deliver a comfortable and sustainable daily life, and work together with local residents to have a positive impact on people, society, and the planet.”
In obtaining this certification, IKEA Maebashi’s particular features include the use of water-saving devices and outdoor air flow monitoring. As water-saving equipment, we have installed the latest water-saving toilets (large 4.8L/time, small 3.8L/time, uses rainwater) and waterless urinals for customer toilets, which use the most water in store operations. We are also minimizing water use in store operations by using rainwater for planting and installing water-saving faucets, dishwashers, and cooking equipment in the kitchen area where meals are served at the restaurant. . As for outside air volume monitoring, we have introduced a system that measures the outside air volume of air conditioners to ensure indoor ventilation volume and save energy, and that alerts us if it falls outside of a standard value.
IKEA Maebashi has also introduced a recycling-oriented business that works together with customers to access renewable energy and reduce energy usage, as well as waste reduction and recycling efforts. For more information, please visit the following website.
https://www.ikea.com/jp/ja/newsroom/corporate-news/20240111-maebashi-pub8eadc920 In addition, some of IKEA Maebashi’s latest sustainability initiatives are introduced below.
・EV charger installation
The ability to reduce CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions associated with customer visits will depend on the increased use of zero-emission vehicles, particularly electric vehicles (EVs). To support the use of EVs, IKEA Maebashi is also working to expand its charging infrastructure and plans to install eight EV chargers in the outdoor parking lot.
・Additional installation of solar panels
At the time of opening, IKEA Maebashi installed 1,378 517.5KW solar panels to generate and consume its own electricity. By completing the installation of 896 additional solar panels (524.16kW) around the end of September 2024, and installing a 600kWh storage battery, we aim to achieve an energy self-sufficiency rate of 36%, the highest among stores in Japan. To make up for the shortfall, we purchase renewable electricity from the retail electricity market, and like other IKEA stores and distribution centers in Japan, we operate on 100% renewable electricity.
IKEA Japan official website https://www.ikea.com/jp/ja
IKEA Japan Newsroom https://www.ikea.com/jp/ja/newsroom/
This article has been partially generated with the assistance of AI.