Oxford Properties Group has earned the number one spot in the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) survey as the North American regional sector leader in the diversified office and retail category.

A focus on increased energy and water efficiency, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, sustainability targets and a new green lease for tenants contributed to Oxford’s success, moving the company up from its 2012 ranking of third in the Americas and fifth place globally.

“Oxford’s ranking reflects the commitment of our tenants, customers, partners and employees to make sustainable practices a priority and drive meaningful results across our portfolio of buildings,” says Andrew McAllan, senior vice-president and managing director of real estate management at Oxford Properties. “In every interaction, every day at Oxford, we strive to continually improve our world-class reputation, returns and commitment to doing the right thing when it comes to sustainability.”

Some of the key elements of Oxford’s sustainability program include:

• Setting targets for energy, water and waste;
• Targeting green building certifications, including LEED for offices, BOMA BESt for retail and Green Keys for hotels;
• Engaging tenants to help reduce the impact of buildings on the environment; and
• Recognizing employees and their properties through a series of Sustainable Intelligence awards.

The annual GRESB report measures the sustainability performance of listed and private property funds in the international real estate industry. The survey determines rankings based on seven aspects: management; policy and disclosure; performance; building certifications; risks and opportunities; monitoring; and stakeholder engagement. For the 2013 report, 543 of the world’s largest property companies and funds were surveyed.