Colombia. Once again the Latin American country follows the example of the global trend in terms of the construction of sustainable buildings and warehouses, as evidenced by cosmetic companies and consumer centers, such as Avon and Procter & Gamble, with their environmentally friendly projects.Cristina Gamboa, president of the Colombian Council of Sustainable Construction, explains that these initiatives and constructions not only help reduce operating costs, but also minimize the carbon footprint and optimize business productivity.
He also comments that sustainable places and the improvement of air, water and energy increase the productivity of workers in these places. According to a market report from McGraw-Hill Green Building Smart, these types of buildings, although they cost 7.5% more, reduce operating costs by 9%, and allow a growth in investment of 6.6%.
In the municipality of Guarne, 30 minutes from Medellin, Colombia, Avon is building a distribution center that will create an eco-friendly work environment. This center, which will have an approximate value of US$50 million, will make it possible to reduce water and energy consumption, install solar panels and reuse rainwater.
For its part, Procter & Gamble will invest US$25 million in a space that will contribute to energy savings by 28% due to the use of solar panels and heaters and the reduction in the carbon footprint of 1,871 tons of CO2 each year during the operation stage. It will also implement the use of rainwater and the suppression of wastewater discharges to reduce water consumption by 51%.
