Sustainable development


Sustainable development, a strategic direction

 

The Brundtland Report, which was published in 1987 by the United Nations’ World Commission on Environment and Development, defined sustainable development as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.

The core activity of the SPG-Rytz group is to manage – as well as preserve – an asset that is, by definition, sustainable: our architectural heritage, our real estate. Our decisions and actions are guided by a quest for balance between the three pillars of sustainable development: economic performance and development, social responsibility and environmental protection.

 

Economic performance and development

As a major player in the Lake Geneva real estate market, we are well-aware of our economic responsibility. We participate in the economic development of the region notably by creating jobs and issuing work orders. We prioritise local companies and enjoy total autonomy, thanks to our family shareholder structure.

With regard to this structure, we favour the necessary investments for the company’s short-, medium- and long-term development over shareholder dividends and disbursements.

 

Social responsibility

The human component is indispensable in ensuring the equilibrium of our activities. Social responsibility is an integral part of our company culture and is in evidence in various areas: the work environment, health and safety, training, sports and leisure, solidarity and culture.

As a training company, we are proud to be the leaders when it comes to training apprentices in the Geneva real estate market, with six apprenticeships per year.

Our group’s social commitment also shines through in our philanthropic actions, as we provide financial support for mutual aid and collaborative projects throughout the world. In each of our annual greeting cards, we highlight an association or project to which we provide financial support:

Finally, promotion of culture and the arts is an essential component of our group’s DNA. Under the impulse of the founding family, we have always distinguished ourselves through a vision of the human spirit that includes a moral obligation to contribute to our local artistic and cultural life, as well as to the beautification of our cities. This commitment takes various forms: literature, art, architecture and landscaping. For example, we support literature in French-speaking Switzerland, through the SPG Literary Prize, which is awarded each year to a first work of fiction written by a French-speaking Swiss author and published by a Swiss publishing house.

 

Environmental protection

We demonstrate our commitment to preserving the environment through regular actions and innovative projects. Our strategy in this area is implemented on three distinct fronts. The first is mastering our carbon footprint. The second is monitoring and improving the real estate holdings we manage, in which we prioritise energy-efficient renovations as much as possible, resulting in reduced expenses, tax deductions and increased property values. For example, the renovation of our group’s corporate headquarters in Geneva enabled us to save 68 percent on our heating costs.

The third is the environmental planning guidance we provide to our clientele, with the goal of raising awareness with regard to environmental protection.

 

Our commitment to sustainable development takes shape through numerous projects

“Artamis des Rois”: a Minergie-certified building completed in 2017, featuring a rooftop vegetable garden, which is farmed collectively by the residents.

roof garden of the Artamis des Rois building

 

“Les Plages de Dardagny”: a Minergie-certified development completed in 2016. A veritable example of sustainable development whose energy needs are entirely covered by renewable energy, this project features the canton’s first cooperative orchard.

Building of Les Plages de Dardagny project.

For 2020, we’ve made a commitment to the Amazon rainforest!

On the occasion of its 60th anniversary, Société Privée de Gérance has partnered with Reforest’Action and is offering you the opportunity to participate in a reforestation project in Brazil. For every contract that is signed – whether a lease agreement, sales contract or labour contract – a tree will be planted in the Amazon rainforest. This is an effective, concrete way of reinforcing our commitment to environmental protection, while getting you involved!

A person taking care of the trees' saplings for a reforestation project.

 

Would you like to learn more about our commitment to sustainable development? Are you interested in environmentally friendly construction and energy-efficient renovations? Please feel free to contact our experts.

SPG-Rytz Group Environment and Energy Department: Route de Chêne 36 – 1208 Geneva – Tel: 058 810 30 57

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