Leading the way in green building practices
In the self storage industry, green building practices are becoming increasingly important as operators aim to reduce environmental impact while meeting the demands of eco-conscious consumers. At Stor-Age, sustainability is not just a buzzword, it’s a core part of our design and development process.
We are committed to ensuring that our facilities are environmentally-friendly, efficient and community-focused.
In this blog, we take a look at what makes a building “green” and what deploying these practices looks like in action.
What makes a building “green” in the self storage industry?
A “green” or sustainable building incorporates environmentally-friendly design, materials and operational practices. As Stor-Age's Head of Marketing, Rob Baird explains, this means including elements such as “energy efficiency, sustainable building materials, water conservation, waste reduction and smart technology” into the design of your building from the very beginning.
Stor-Age’s commitment to green building practices
Stor-Age has taken significant strides in incorporating green building practices into the design and development of its facilities.
“We’ve placed a great deal of emphasis on ensuring that we are doing our part to make sure that our properties have minimum impact on the environment. To date, we’ve spent over R72 million on various initiatives and for the past two years have reduced our Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions across both markets by 19% year-on-year. Each of our buildings are developed with environmental best practices in mind. Renewable energy, motion sensor LED lighting, using building materials that assist with insulation and harvesting rainwater are just a few of the initiatives we have in place,” explains Baird.
These efforts reflect a comprehensive approach to reducing environmental impact and optimising energy efficiency.
Certifications and partnerships: Setting the standard
Stor-Age is setting a benchmark for sustainability in the UK by adopting key green building certifications, including BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method).
Our latest Integrated Annual Report highlights significant achievements:
- “Four properties within our Moorfield JV are part of a Sustainability-Linked Loan facility with Aviva plc, achieving impressive carbon reductions of 75%–100% compared to the FY22 baseline.”
- “The Moorfield JV also secured a green loan from HSBC Bank to fund the development of five properties that meet BREEAM requirements.”
Moreover, in the UK we focus on upholding sustainability and environmental stewardship by striving for a “Very Good” or “Excellent” BREEAM rating, committing to the Considerate Constructors Scheme, and enhancing biodiversity through the installation of bat and bird boxes to compensate for habitat loss.
Stor-Age's commitment to a holistic ESG strategy
Each of these initiatives is aimed at executing a long-term ESG strategy that is built around eight core pillars which are highlighted and expanded on in the Integrated Annual Report 2024.
These eight pillars are:
- Developing environmentally-friendly buildings with low environmental impact.
- Creating a culture of high integrity across the business.
- An unwavering approach to good corporate governance.
- Ensuring the ongoing sustainability of the business.
- Preserving our resilience by maintaining balance sheet strength.
- Ensuring effective management of financial and environmental risks, with significant value creation for our stakeholders.
- Supporting local communities in which we operate.
- Supporting employee wellness across the business.
Baird adds, “Stor-Age benefits from self storage being one of the least carbon-intensive sectors compared to other real estate sub-sectors.”
“According to a 2023 report by KPMG and the European Public Real Estate Association, self storage generates the lowest greenhouse gas emissions intensity (4kg/m² for scope 1 and 2) for all European real estate sub-sectors.”
While the majority of customers choose us for our security, convenience and affordability, many appreciate Stor-Age’s focus on sustainability.
Educating customers through recycling initiatives
One important initiative for us is our recycling programme, which began as a trial at our Stikland store. The trial saw great success and the programme has since been launched at other stores.
Through this programme, a store allocates a unit that customers can drop paper and cardboard into for recycling — a simple, yet highly effective solution to waste management!
We’ve strategically partnered with Oasis Recycling in this initiative who collect the recycled items. The partnership is aligned to Oasis’ focus on creating employment while making a positive impact to the environment.
Looking ahead: Trends in green building
Sustainability is set to play an increasingly central role in the self storage industry.
“Green building trends and innovations are increasingly influencing the industry, with sustainability becoming a key consideration for operators looking to reduce costs, improve efficiency and attract eco-conscious customers,” notes Baird.
Stor-Age continues to invest in initiatives like solar and battery systems, smart building technologies and partnerships with community organisations to stay ahead of these trends.
Success stories: Measuring our impact
In our 2024 Carbon Footprint Report (completed by a third-party sustainability consultant), we recorded a total of 3 836 tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions avoided through our renewable energy initiatives.
By prioritising renewable energy and sustainable building practices, Stor-Age is not only lowering its environmental impact but also delivering long-term value to its stakeholders.
Through our dedication to green building practices, we believe we are setting a benchmark in the self storage industry. From innovative facility design to impactful community partnerships, our commitment to sustainability underscores our role as a leader in environmentally responsible storage solutions.
For more details about what makes individual facilities sustainable, read our blog on how Stor-Age is building a sustainable future.