Leadership Talks: Sustainability Shaun

At Swire Properties, sustainability means a lot more than being green. As a core part of our business, sustainability at Swire Properties has evolved far beyond water and energy efficiency; it is at the foundation of everything we do. Swire Properties has embraced the vision of becoming the leading sustainable development performer globally by the year 2030. This vision clearly articulates our direction and serves as a goal for our SD 2030 Strategy. The SD 2030 Strategy originated from a creative mindset of innovation and experimentation and is rooted in five strategic pillars– Places, People, Partners, Environmental Performance, and Economic Performance. When we consider our developments, every aspect is approached with the lens of sustainability. For every detail, we ask the question, “How does this task contribute to our goal?” It motivates the way we design, build, create communities, and connect people in living spaces of the future.

The overarching objective of SD 2030 has propelled sustainable innovation holistically throughout our properties and is demonstrated marvelously in our Climate Ribbon at Brickell City Centre. This dynamic rain collection system spans over 150,000 square feet across the Centre, conserving an estimated 3 million gallons of water annually, and repurposing it for our irrigation and cooling systems. The Climate Ribbon is also strategically situated to shade visitors from sun exposure, redistribute ocean breeze throughout the property, and reduce temperatures without negative environmental consequences. It is a flawless execution of form and function, and there is nothing else like it in the city of Miami. This sculptural icon is by far the most photographed architectural element in Brickell City Centre, demonstrating Swire Properties’ unique commitment to the intersection of design and sustainability

Swire Properties is also a proud partner of The Underline, Miami’s 10-mile linear park, urban trail, and public art destination. This partnership was born from shared values of environmental resiliency and addressing issues of climate change, biodiversity, and energy reduction. We have been honored to sponsor The Underline’s Urban Gym Flex Court, which creates a safe urban environment for the community to come together, play soccer and basketball, and connect. Sustainability is a 24/7 responsibility we share with our company, our partners, and our global community. We have to continuously ask how we can do better for our planet. We will never give up on discovering innovative solutions to help us further reduce carbon emissions, water usage, or waste. Part of this responsibility is ensuring those we do business with share our philosophy towards sustainability, and we have seen incredible engagement with our partners who share this vision. We will continue to work to elevate our partners to achieve a shared goal of a sustainable future.

— Shaun Swanger, SVP, People & Operations at Swire Properties

Shaun Swanger–Senior Vice President, People & Operations