AHRC Aims for EDGE Zero Carbon Certification by 2026

Signing the "Edge Zero Carbon" cooperation agreement on March 19 are (from left) AHRC AVP and Project Development Senior Director and Sustainability Lead Eileen Escobido, ALI Hotels Group Head Javier Hernandez, ALI SVP and Leasing and Hospitality Head Mariana Zobel de Ayala, IFC Country Manager Jean-Marc Arbogast and Senior Investment Officer Serra Ekinci Oz, and EDGE Country Head Angelo Tan

We at Ayala Land have been steadfast in our allegiance to sustainability and this partnership with IFC is a significant step in assuring environmental sustainability in our hotel group. These efforts fall in line with Ayala group’s commitment to achieve zero greenhouse gas emission by 2050.

MARIANA ZOBEL DE AYALA
ALI SVP and Leasing and Hospitality Head

AyalaLand Hotels and Resorts Corporation (AHRC) has signed an agreement with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to signify its commitment to achieving EDGE Zero Carbon certification for 2,826 rooms in its hotel portfolio by 2026, a first for a hotel group in the Philippines.

EDGE Zero Carbon is a globally recognized net zero building certification and the highest of three levels of certification for EDGE, or Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies. An innovation of IFC, EDGE promotes resource-efficient, low-carbon buildings, requiring a 20 percent improvement for energy use, water use, and embodied carbon in materials compared to base case. EDGE Zero Carbon goes further, requiring 40 percent savings on energy use via onsite measures, and buildings to be carbon neutral through renewable energy sources and/or carbon offsets.

AHRC’s pursuit of EDGE Zero Carbon certification follows that of ALI and AREIT, which signed a memorandum of understanding with IFC in September 2023, to achieve EDGE Zero Carbon certification for 1.5 million square meters by 2025. Of this goal, about 354,000 square meters (eight buildings) have been certified, comprising the Philippines’ largest net zero building portfolio.

Javier Hernandez, head of ALI's Hotels Group, says that the move is a significant milestone for AHRC in its advocacy of sustainable tourism. The hotels group has obtained its energy from renewable sources since 2021 and continues to fulfill its commitment to environmental responsibility.