Focus on Environment and Community: IULIUS Releases Sustainability Report for 2022

IULIUS Group is accelerating the ESG policies implemented for creating sustainable projects that are useful for the community and stimulate the development of their respective cities. The 2022 milestones that reflect the effort of the company in this direction, according to the recently published 2022 Sustainability Report, are an 8% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions, 13% decrease in total energy consumption, and 34% decrease in landfilled waste, compared to 2019 figures.

IULIUS is focusing its resources on the development of projects that contribute to the modernization of cities, with a priority focus on the care for the environment and on building strong communities. With the 1.2 billion Euro invested in urban regeneration projects in Iași (Palas and Palas Campus) and Timișoara (Iulius Town), the nationwide Iulius Mall network (Iași, Suceava, Cluj), as well as two Family Market convenience retail centers in Iași, IULIUS has generated value and boosted local development, drawing new investments via the business infrastructure thus created.

“We are continuously integrating the latest sustainability solutions. All the buildings have green certifications, we use low-carbon materials, we reduce energy consumption via photovoltaic panels, and we run projects that support education and entrepreneurship. Last but not least, we love nature and bring it to the heart of our projects, so everyone can have easy access to it. The future will be even greener, as nature will also be the centerpiece in the mixed-use projects we propose in Cluj and Constanța,” said Dan Adrian Chelaru, Group Sustainability Officer IULIUS.

Read more about

Oana Diaconescu, IULIUS: We have a pipeline of investment projects of over €1.3 billion

read more

130 million Euro in infrastructure and alternative mobility solutions

IULIUS’ concern for sustainability translates into the implementation of the ‘15-minute city’ concept in the mixed-use projects, a space that features the necessary elements for going about your business efficiently, where distances between the job, stores, school, restaurants, and the park can be covered on foot or by bicycle, reducing both time wasted in traffic and pollution.

The company invested 130 million Euro in connectivity, infrastructure, and alternative mobility solutions, fitting out bicycle lanes and more than 1,000 bicycle parking spaces. In Palas, about 74% of the length of internal circulation routes is designed for pedestrian traffic, and 43% in Iulius Town Timișoara, respectively. Moreover, the ground floor of the office buildings are fitted with showers and changing rooms for those who ride their bicycle to the office.

IULIUS Group supports the adoption of electric mobility, and its electric vehicle charging station network reached 49 points in 2022.

Urban garden covering 45% of the Palas Iași area

The care for the environment is apparent across all IULIUS projects. Each project in the portfolio, whether retail or office, either holds green certifications or is pending certification, which attests to the high performance level in line with international efficiency and sustainability principles. As for the energy performance certificates, 68% of all buildings achieved maxim scores (100 points), and 32% achieved scores between 98 and 99 points.

Palas Campus Iași stands out for undergoing two separate certification processes, namely EDGE and LEED. In 2021, the project obtained the first green loan granted in Romania by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a division of the World Bank. Palas is the only project in Central and Eastern Europe to achieve the LEED® Neighborhood Development certification for its positive community impact and the sustainable design and construction of the buildings.

One particular feature of IULIUS projects is the large percentage of green spaces. The company invested more than 17 million Euro to create 13 hectares of urban gardens. In Palas alone the green spaces make up more than 45% of the total area. The gardens in Iași, Cluj-Napoca, and Timișoara have become anchors for the community, leisure destinations, and accommodate around 1,000 shows every year.

As for household waste, IULIUS managed to cut down by 31% compared to 2019 levels and to increase recyclable waste volumes by 28% compared to the same year. The medium-term goal is to reduce landfilled waste by more than 50%. To this end, the ‘IULIUS–Zero Waste Program’ was launched in 2022, which seeks to reduce the quantities of waste generated both across the organization and in the relationships with partners and suppliers. A pilot program was also implemented for composting the organic waste in each shopping center.

Carbon footprint reduction strategy with IFC

In 2022, IULIUS signed a partnership with the IFC for the purpose of developing a strategy to decarbonize the entire company portfolio and to achieve the net-zero emissions target.

As for community engagement, IULIUS carried out numerous environmental protection actions, such as campaigns for afforestation, paper recycling, clothing reuse, and championing alternative mobility, charity actions, blood donation campaigns, as well as partnerships for supporting sports events.

In 2022, IULIUS continued its internship program, which drew 129 student applicants. Seven of the selected students were hired at the end of their internship.