Bentall Kennedy Launches Corporate Responsibility Reporting Website

TORONTO, July 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Bentall Kennedy releases its 2011 Corporate Responsibility report through a new website, cr.bentallkennedy.com, it was announced today.

The report, entitled Simply Better Business, encompasses the organization's commitment to industry leading environmental, social and governance practices in both its real estate services and investment management lines of business.

In 2011, Bentall Kennedy was ranked #1 in the Americas and #5 globally for environmental, social and governance practices in commercial real estate by the Global Real Estate and Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) survey. The new corporate responsibility website articulates the basis for this achievement by sharing performance data, such as energy consumption per square foot for different asset types, total greenhouse gas emissions, and labour force data.  Bentall Kennedy also looks ahead at trends, goals, challenges and opportunities among the environment, social and governance areas that impact its business.

"Our role as fiduciaries for our clients is to enhance the value of their assets over time. We believe that our commitment to this aspect of our business sets us apart from our peers," said Gary Whitelaw, Chief Executive Officer for the Bentall Kennedy group.

Bentall Kennedy had many achievements in 2011, including awards and recognition for many of the assets it manages, as well as recognition for the whole organization from ENERGY STAR, a program run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  In addition, 70% of all office buildings carry a third-party certification such as LEED or BOMA BESt. GHG emissions in the portfolio were reduced by 6% overall.  Bentall Kennedy and its clients made great strides in water conservation, reducing water consumption by 20% in the US residential portfolio, and 2% across all of North America. Case studies citing best practices in water management are available on Bentall Kennedy's Corporate Responsibility website, http://cr.bentallkennedy.com.

Bentall Kennedy's Corporate Responsibility website reports on 2011 activities using the Global Reporting Initiative™ (GRI™) Framework and the Construction and Real Estate Sector Supplement (CRESS).  The report has been self-declared a GRI Level B, indicating that Bentall Kennedy has included disclosures on company profile, management approach, and 20 additional indicators of various topics.

About Bentall Kennedy

Bentall Kennedy is one of North America's largest real estate investment advisors and one of its foremost providers of real estate services. Bentall Kennedy serves the interests of more than 500 clients across 140 million square feet of office, retail, industrial, hotel, and apartment properties totaling $28.7 (as at March 2012) billion throughout Canada and the U.S.

Bentall Kennedy has a 100 year track record of delivering superior returns and a reputation for integrity, innovation and creating value. Bentall Kennedy is a member of UN PRI and is a recognized global leader in Responsible Property Investing. For more information, visit: http://www.bentallkennedy.com.

Bentall Kennedy includes Bentall Kennedy (Canada) Limited Partnership and Bentall Kennedy (U.S.) Limited Partnership.

For further information:
Or to set up an interview contact:
Nada Sutic, Director, Sustainability
nsutic@bentallkennedy.com
+1-416-813-3641