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Integral-Esquel's Sustainable Development Garden LEED O+M Gold Award Ceremony
On April 28th, the US Green Building Council (USGBC) announced that Integral-Esquel's Sustainable Development Garden has received the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) O+M Gold Award for existing buildings, the first project in Guilin and the second in Guangxi to receive this honor. Andy To, Managing Director of USGBC North Asia, presented the award to Esquel Group at the award ceremony, which was attended by Esquel Group's Chairman Marjorie Yang, Vice Chairman Teresa Yang, and Ray Chen, founder of Ray Chen and Partners Architects, as well as other industry colleagues and representatives from partner units.
Located in the picturesque city of Guilin and constructed by Esquel, a leading knowledge-based innovation company, Integral occupies an area of over 500,000 square meters. It is a sustainable development garden in which all the facilities are designed with the goal of low carbon emissions and increased energy efficiency. The project integrates innovative concepts, high-quality employment, cultural heritage, and environmental sustainability into every detail of building design and project management, showcasing a new model of harmonious coexistence between manufacturing and nature.
Integral-Esquel's Sustainable Development Garden
LEED is a certification system for green buildings and cities established and promoted by USGBC. It is currently the most comprehensive and influential green building assessment standard globally, and is often referred to as the "Oscar" of the industry. The assessment covers the following nine aspects of a building: integration process, site selection and transportation, sustainable site development, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, innovation, and regional priority in order to evaluate its impact on the environment.
Teresa Yang, Vice Chairman of Esquel Group, stated in her speech, "We are delighted that Integral has received the highly respected LEED Gold Award. Esquel has always been committed to seeking a balance between manufacturing development and environmental protection while focusing on tackling climate change and narrowing the wealth gap. This award demonstrates industry recognition of Esquel's efforts in sustainable development, especially in preserving planet, empowering people, refining product and transforming communities."
Andy To, Managing Director of USGBC North Asia, said in his speech that Esquel is a respected enterprise committed to sustainable development and social progress. Integral's sustainable exploration and outstanding achievements set an example for the green transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing industry in the new era, and are undoubtedly leading traditional industries towards high-quality development. He also hoped that more enterprises will follow Esquel's sustainable development initiatives and create more success stories in the industry.
The principle of sustainable development, with an orientation on people and harmony with nature, is deeply embedded in Integral. Virtuous cyclical and green operations have led to innovative achievements at Integral. Esquel Group responds to China's "Beautiful China" strategy, efficiently implements the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and continuously introduces multiple energy-saving and carbon-reducing measures. The company cultivates employees' green concepts, practices green and sustainable development, explores a development model that balances innovation and sustainability with production and environmental protection, and showcases the beauty of the integration of industry and ecology, reshaping the economic and humanistic landscape. Whether it is during the design and construction phase or the operation and maintenance phase, Integral has always used advanced production concepts and strict production management control to minimize carbon emissions.
Integral-Esquel's Sustainable Development Garden
At the beginning of the design and construction phase, more expensive green building materials were used, and most of the construction waste was recycled, greatly reducing water and energy consumption and effectively reducing the urban heat island effect. During the operation and maintenance phase of Integral, the unit energy consumption value of the building area is only 131.8kWh/(㎡. a), which is lower than the national average of 200kWh/(㎡. a), reducing energy consumption by more than 30%. The unit product water intake index is 6.35m3/t, far lower than the water consumption quota of 150m3/t for knitted cotton and cotton blended products stipulated in Guangxi's "Water Consumption Quotas for Major Products in the Industrial Industry" DB45/T678-2017, and reduces the ratio by 96%, reaching a leading level in that industry in China. Through automatic sprinklers and rainwater collection systems, 50% of water is saved, and the reuse rate of water in the park is 56.05%, supplementing groundwater resources and improving the ecological environment.
In the production area, the installation of efficient refrigeration air conditioning systems, compressed air systems, and water pump motors and other equipment achieves energy savings of up to 15%. The use of natural light-guiding tubes and Low-E glass makes full use of natural light for lighting, effectively reducing more than 80% of daytime lighting energy consumption inside the building. Integral's indoor fresh air volume standard, a product of a multi-stage fresh air filtration system, is better than the national standard, and continuously ensures indoor air quality. The concentration of carbon dioxide is reduced by 50% relative to the benchmark level, and the TVOC concentration is reduced by 93% on average compared to benchmark buildings.
In addition, Integral implements green procurement and waste management plans, purchases environmentally certified materials, implements employee uniform recycling and remanufacturing actions, and maximizes the recovery and utilization of raw materials and waste. Waste recovery efficiency reaches more than 82%. "Without small steps, one cannot reach a thousand miles"; in daily management, Esquel Group consistently infiltrates the concept of sustainable development and persistently explores the path of green development, making continuous active responses to global climate change.
"At the Integral Dialogue in 2021, Esquel Group pledged to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050,” said Vice Chairman Teresa Yang, who called for sustainable development to be a collective action of the whole society, not just one or a few companies. “Through Integral, we hope to inspire more partners to join us in achieving sustainable development goals, working together to build a better future.”
Integral’s winning the LEED Gold Award provides a practical industry benchmark for the textile industry, which will undoubtedly propel the ecological economic development of Guilin and the global textile industry to new heights.
