The Journey to Net Zero: ALI exceeds 2022 controlled carbon targets

In 2017, Ayala Land, Inc. (ALI) embarked on a commitment to reduce its controllable emissions coming from its commercial properties. In 2021, the company took this a step further with a bolder commitment towards net zero emissions by 2050 – a first by a Philippine real estate company.

Aligning with the Paris Agreement’s target to combat climate change and limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius in 2050, Ayala Land committed to neutralizing scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions in its malls, offices, hotels, and resorts by 2022.

To get to net zero, ALI needed to complete its inventory and identify what actions to take for its roadmap to achieve this goal. It was able to account for all its emissions, a daunting task that needed the participation of operations, procurement, HR and sustainability teams across all business units.

For Ayala Land’s 2022 carbon neutrality program, this meant a combination of measures that include the use of renewable energy, the use of natural lighting and ventilation and energy-efficient cooling facilities, and removal of emissions through revegetating its carbon sink projects. ALI is expanding its strategies to further reduce emissions and achieve its 2050 target.

As of end-2022, more than 80 of ALI’s commercial buildings are sourcing renewable energy, representing 90% of total malls and offices’ gross leasable area. This reduced its emissions by more than 150,000 tons of CO2 emissions.

ALI’s carbon forests across six sites in the country serve as carbon sinks to offset the company’s residual emissions. ALI has dedicated 586 hectares of private land in 2017-2018 to serve as protected forests, 445 hectares of which have been revegetated. To date, ALI has also planted more than 216,000 trees since the initiative started. An estimated 95,000 tons of CO2 equivalent are stored within these carbon forests.

To ensure integrity of its claims, Ayala Land undergoes external assurance and third-party verification of its data.