SUSTAINABILITY

We take pride in the fact that our building is as environmentally friendly as was possible at the time. During construction, we went out of our way to use recycled steel and materials, recycling over 90% of the waste material from the building. Other significant measures we took include installing LED lighting across the entire building (at a time when this was more-or-less unheard of), fitting solar-tracking automated blinds, and heating water using waste heat generated by the underground electrical room.

In the end, the reason we committed to 100% was a mix of our own strong desire to contribute to realizing a sustainable society through our business, and the sense that societal demand for environmentally friendly buildings was increasing year by year. Our tenants include companies that are members of RE100^*2, and if this kind of company increases rapidly, we will no longer be chosen by potential tenants unless we shift away from conventional procurement. We also anticipate greater demand for CO₂-free energy from MICE hosts and customers using the serviced apartments and executive lounge and conference rooms. We see improving our environmental value as an indispensable investment rather than a cost.

We also consulted the Japan Climate Leaders’ Partnership (JCLP), the Japanese contact for RE100 membership, on a range of issues when introducing the initiative, and in January 2021, we joined the partnership as a supporting member.
As for the charges associated with switching the electricity supply, which have increased by slightly over 10%, we bear these ourselves and do not pass them on to our tenants. As long as electricity remains a part of basic infrastructure, we believe fluctuating charges attributable to our company policy are not desirable for tenant companies.

We were delighted when we heard of the plan. At a time when SDGs are the focus of this kind of attention, we were the first operator to run serviced apartments entirely on electricity from renewable energy sources. Each year, in the hotel industry, we respond to RFP (Request for Proposal) that determine the conditions of contracts with global companies, and where once selection depended on a combination of location and price, lately we are seeing engagement with SDGs being added to the criteria. The recent switch to power from renewable energy sources will provide us with a great advantage here, and we are both incredibly grateful for this, and increasingly excited about having a hand in creating a sustainable society.

Another feature of this building is that we have installed all-gender multi-use restrooms on every floor. As well as equipping restrooms with wall-mounted toddler seats and facilities for ostomates, and ensuring sufficient space for wheelchairs, they are designed to be easy for the LGBT community to use. In the context of respecting diversity, we have also undertaken an initiative where we ask persons with disabilities to tour our facilities and point out any areas of concern, which we then improve on.

In terms of the environment, we have also introduced a grey water recycling system. Grey water is considered to sit somewhere between clean water and black water or sewage, so we send the wastewater from places like the building facilities and store kitchens to the grey water plant to be cleaned and reused for flushing toilets, etc. We have also taken care to recreate natural vegetation for the walkways alongside our building—researching what kind of plants would originally have grown in Tokyo’s soil, and selecting species suited to the climate, such as Shirakashi white oak and Tabunoki trees.

We have rolled out a hygiene management program known as Oakwood Clean360 that safeguards all of our guests and employees across our global chain. Originally, we brought it in to respond to COVID-19, but digitalizing all the magazines and newspapers touched by unknown multitudes has also led to a huge reduction in paper. Our other initiatives in recent years include changing the breakfast takeout box to packaging made from cornstarch, and cutting out plastic straws and stirring sticks.
The biggest change was cutting food loss at breakfast to almost zero by switching our breakfasts from a buffet to a set menu where dishes are made to order. Here again, infection control provided the impetus, but I am proud to say that this initiative put us one step ahead in the hotel industry.
Another thing we do is providing gift cards to customers who cancel room cleaning. This has the effect of reducing water and power usage by cutting out cleaning and bed linen changes not wanted by customers.

I completely agree. By getting people talking about their “switch to electricity generated 100% from renewable energy sources” initiative, Tekko Building has instigated a great new trend. Hopefully, this will provide the impetus for all sorts of things to shift in a positive direction.