Sustainability
We are the change makers.
As we head into a future very different from our past, we are committed to being the change we want to see in the world.
Through our sustainability initiatives, we are building community, reducing our waste, enhancing our natural environment, and limiting the drivers of climate change through our low-carbon energy utility and high-performance buildings.
Building beyond communities.
Through our Beyond Rent program, we are supporting our tenants on their journey to home ownerships through discounted new home pricing.
Wesgroup is one of CMHC’s most significant partners in BC, currently developing more than 830 affordable rental housing units through the Lower Mainland. In addition, we have sponsored 700 community garden beds since 2017 each of which provide about 24 lbs of fresh fruits and vegetables for the communities they serve.
Responsibility begins with us.
Reducing waste is a key sustainability initiative at Wesgroup. Rather than demolition, we partner with deconstruction specialists, which has resulted in hundreds of tonnes of wood, scrap-metal, drywall and concrete being kept out of our landfills.
We recycle at least 75% of all construction waste in our development projects, which diverts even more waste from being burnt or landfilled. We also carefully deconstruct the kitchens and bathrooms from our presentation centres and donate them to local charities, as a way to help them support their own communities better.
Environmental commitment means real action.
Wesgroup specializes in reimagining brownfield sites, having to date revitalized more than 189 acres into thriving communities, with more underway.
Our apiary is another innovative way we are trying to positively impact our environment. The half-a-million bees in our apiary are an army of pollinators for local plants and trees.
We in turn sell the 450 lbs of honey they produce each year to raise much needed funds for local charities.
Leading the way.
Climate change means we all need to reimagine how we heat and cool our homes and offices. That’s why we’re proud that River District Energy is the only developer owned utility regulated by the British Columbia Utilities Commission. The energy system at River District was established to keep utility rates low for our tenants, and through new investment, is expected to cut greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 90%. But that’s not all.
Since 2015, Wesgroup has built more than 1200 Built Green or LEED Gold homes, and continues to seek innovative ways to further reduce the operational and embodied emissions of our buildings.