Sustainable Waterloo Region (SWR) is pleased to announce that HIP Developments has joined the Regional Sustainability Initiative as an Observing Organization! Through this membership they gain access to an extensive member network to learn best practices to create a culture of sustainability that will engage employees as advocates, as they look to set ambitious and realistic sustainability targets.
“HIP Developments has demonstrated its commitment to the community and sustainability through its work, and we are so excited to be part of their journey to look at their operational sustainability,” said Tova Davidson, Executive Director of Sustainable Waterloo Region. “We know they will be an excellent addition to the regional network.”
Located in Waterloo, HIP Developments is committed to helping shape a vibrant and confident community that dreams big, stays creative and lives passionately through real estate. Founded in 2010, the company works to actively participate in developing creative neighbourhoods, culture and quality of life. They understand that to do this in a meaningful and sustainable way, they must be contributing to both the social and economic growth of the community they operate in.
“We believe cities are worth fighting for at a very human level. People should find their community to be a source of joy, pride and inspiration; even more so after the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, says Scott Higgins, President of HIP Developments. “This includes having options to live sustainably in new development projects as over 40% of our carbon emissions come from building heating and cooling. We will embark on leading the way to prove that full building electrification, combined with designing for lower energy needs, will be the future of our industry.”
As new members, the HIP Developments team has committed to a set of initial goals that will evolve over the course of their membership. Their first priority will be looking at how they can reduce their organization’s environmental impact by incorporating sustainability considerations into existing policies and procedures.
As an organization dedicated to serving their community, they also intend on paying it forward. With support from SWR, they hope to pass on lessons learned by integrating sustainability concepts into programming and services they offer to residents in their development projects.
We are thrilled to have such a vital community organization join the other 85 who are contributing to making Waterloo region a sustainability hub!