NTT DATA Barcelona corporate headquarters has been recognized as the most sustainable office in Europe and the second most sustainable in the world for its design. In this way, the office recently inaugurated to house the company's 4,000 employees in Barcelona has received LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, the most prestigious sustainable construction standard in the world, developed by the US Green Building Council (USGBC), with the highest score in Europe in its category.
The interior design of these offices is a reflection that reinforces the company's ESG strategy, focused on reducing the carbon footprint, promoting the use of clean energy, eliminating plastic, among others. This means that taking care of the environment and following strict policies regarding the environment and energy consumption is a must.
Recognition was awarded after evaluating the environmental impact of the design and construction and identifying that NTT DATA has achieved energy savings of 37.3%, 46% water savings, recycling of 82% of construction waste, and sustainable materials have been used, prioritizing the installation of those with high recycled content, environmental product declarations and low VOC emissions, among others. In the interior design project, the company has developed and implemented a biophilic design that emulates the natural environment, improved air filtration levels, monitors air quality and thermal conditions, and 25% of the workstations can be raised so that people can work standing up to activate their metabolism and promote an active and healthy life.
Thus, the importance of good design in office buildings is vital to achieving greater sustainability and energy efficiency. To move any office towards a near-zero energy model, it is important to follow sustainable guidelines that help to save energy, as long as it is executed in a planned way and with a sense of moving towards a more competent model.
LEED certification is divided into mandatory prerequisites and optional credits that award points. NTT DATA’s score of 91 points, the highest of its kind in Europe, demonstrates its leadership in sustainability and its commitment to the environment. LEED certification is voluntary and aims to advance the use of strategies that enable an overall improvement in the environmental impact of the construction industry.
According to Alonso Dominguez, Green Deal Partner at NTT DATA, "We are very proud to have achieved this recognition. Sustainability has become the cornerstone of our business strategy and leading by example to have the most sustainable offices in Europe is the best way. At the end of the day, accompanying our clients in their ecological transition and being the proof that it can be achieved is the best way and the one that proves that being more sustainable is possible".
The certificate has been managed by the Green Deal unit of the firm, dedicated to providing technological solutions and consultancy to drive the transformation towards a resilient, efficient, and environmentally friendly model.