SM Group Leads the Way in Sustainable Development with 7 LEED Gold Certifications

​SM Prime Holdings, Inc., the SM group's property arm, has attained LEED Gold certification for seven properties as of 2024 and is working on green certification for its remaining properties to address climate change and improve disaster resilience.

​The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is the world’s most widely used green building rating system. To achieve Gold, the second highest level, a building goes through a rigorous review process that includes pre-certification, construction, and post-construction reviews.

“We continue to invest in sustainable designs in our properties. LEED Green certification is an affirmation by independent parties that we are building our properties right and adopting the highest standards. Sustainability for us was never a fad we had to follow. It’s deeply embedded in our core,” said Engr. Liza B. Silerio, SM Supermalls Vice President and Program Director for the Environment at SM Cares, the corporate social responsibility arm of the SM Supermalls.

Since 2017, the following SM properties have gained LEED Gold certification: SM Aura Premier in Taguig, The Podium Complex, SM City Baguio, Mega Tower in Mandaluyong City, Conrad Manila, SM North Tower in Quezon City, and SM Three E-Com Center in the Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City.

SM accounts for more than 15% of the 42 LEED Gold and Platinum-certified projects in the Philippines as of the first quarter of 2024, with seven developments—malls, offices, and hotels—recognized as LEED Gold.

One of its most recent LEED Gold properties is SM City Baguio, which earned the LEED Gold in March 2023.

During construction of the mall's expansion in 2016. SM's architects, planners, and designers continuously supervised the project's progress to assure compliance from beginning to end.

The GBIC reviewed and identified the top five green features of SM City Baguio's expansion, which are: energy efficiency, public transportation access, water use reduction, water-efficient landscaping and vegetated open spaces, and reinforced concrete construction with regional materials and high recycled content.

“A successful business is a responsible business,” added Engr. Silerio. “At SM, our commitment to sustainability drives us to design LEED-certified properties both as responsible and strategic decisions to ensure long-term success and resilience.”

Colliers International Group, Inc., a Canada-based investment management company, noted in May 2024 that companies who pursue LEED-certified buildings are more attuned to creating a more positive business value by aligning project development with the social well-being, environmental health and the local economy where they operate.