NEO achieves net zero carbon energy emission

MANILA, Philippines — Green office developer and property manager NEO achieved net zero carbon energy across its portfolio, fully powered by renewable energy from the Aboitiz Group.

NEO has secured five-star certifications under the Advancing Net Zero Philippines (ANZ/PH) program, which verifies a development’s net zero carbon energy emissions.

It earned the certifications for three of its office buildings – One/NEO, Four/NEO, and Six/NEO – under the ANZ/PH pilot program and anticipates receiving the same five-star certifications for the remaining four buildings of its portfolio.

Net zero energy is defined as “the conservation and optimization of the energy use in projects, and the use of the renewable energy for the project’s remaining operational energy demand.”

NEO CEO Raymond Rufino said the company has joined the World Green Building Council’s Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment and encourages all other real estate firms to go Net Zero.

“The severity of our current climate crisis requires a commensurate response and commitment from real estate owners, developers, and managers: NET ZERO. This is a difficult and ambitious commitment for NEO as we are a real estate company based in an emerging market,” he said.

“However, we firmly believe that we can and must play our part in this global collective effort. By being a pilot partner of the Philippine Green Building Council for its Advancing Net Zero (ANZ PH) Certification Program and achieving 5 Star Certifications for One/NEO, Two/NEO, and Three/NEO, we have demonstrated that Philippine developments can be Net-Zero,” Rufino said.

The entire portfolio is powered by 100 percent renewable energy from AboitizPower’s Cleanergy, a partnership forged since 2013.

NEO’s seven intelligent office facilities are supplied with 14.5 megawatts (MW) of geothermal energy from AP Renewables Inc., specifically the MakBan geothermal Plant located in the provinces of Laguna and Batangas.

“Our partnership with NEO spans eight years of forged commitment toward nation-building. AboitizPower believes that sustainable development is anchored on building an enterprise consciousness around the conservation of resources, alongside the practice of socially responsible programs for the communities we serve. We applaud NEO’s response to climate emergencies and as a partner, we are committed to aligning our energy products and services to help them fulfill their sustainability journey,” AboitizPower first vice president for commercial operations Juan Alejandro Aboitiz said.

The Advancing Net Zero Philippines program is the Philippine Green Building Council’s (PhilGBC) rating scheme to assess a building’s energy performance in line with the global campaign Advancing Net Zero of the World Green Building Council.