Environmental impact Medium
Employer/employee ranking 31/29
Staff numbers 180
Energy reduction 7%
Recycling 5%

Brent Cross in north London made its name as Europe’s first large enclosed shopping centre. And 32 years after that pioneering move, it is also blazing a trail on the environmental front.

Workers at Brent Cross, a Hammerson/Standard Life development, say bosses are open to suggestions for eco improvements, giving a green score of 87%, and that the organisation’s commitments are serious (79%). Staff embrace environmental matters and don’t just associate green issues with beards and sandals (76%).

A new waste management system deals with the annual 3,000 tons of refuse produced by the company. This ensures the vast majority is recycled, leaving less than 3% for landfill. While many staff believe the firm produces too much waste (45%), they also say that Brent Cross does a lot for the environment (81%).

As part of London Sustainability Weeks 2007, the shopping centre held Green Matters, a two-week drive to encourage shoppers to tackle climate change.

General manager Tom Nathan says: “We recognise the importance of taking steps to reduce our carbon footprint and have been successful in starting to make the centre a more environmentally-friendly place.”

Employees agree that the organisation’s environmental impacts are improving, giving an 80% green score. It has invested in a number of initiatives, which staff don’t think are a waste of money (81%). Two hundred houses could be powered for a year with the energy saved by the 9,000 energy-efficient light bulbs installed throughout the centre. New light fittings have also been installed in the multi-storey car park, which use less energy than the old strip lights.

Training is given to the centre’s staff on green issues and they also receive regular updates on environmental matters from the company (76%).