EDGE was created by the International Finance Corporation, part of the World Bank, to help owners and developers build and operate green buildings in a fast and affordable way. It is supported by free software that encourages solutions to reduce energy, water and energy embedded in materials by at least 20%, which is the minimum EDGE certification standard.

EDGE was applied to 48 logistics buildings in the WDP Romania portfolio, with warehouses with dimensions between 2,500 sqm to over 60,000 sqm.

“Sustainability is important to us and we want to bring tenants the value of efficient warehouses in terms of resources. EDGE has contributed to bringing international best practices to our projects throughout Romania and allows us to demonstrate our commitment to sustainability through the internationally recognized green building certification scheme”, says Norbert Baddett, group marketing director, WDP.

„As a leading partner in the field of logistics property, WDP Romania has a strong sense of corporate social responsibility. This extends to the proactive improvement of the tenant experience and the use of EDGE is an essential part of collaboration to facilitate and enhance corporate social responsibility practices. Tenants also benefit from lower utility costs in EDGE-certified buildings, which makes a profit for all parties”, says Eleni Polychroniadou, Sintali's commercial director.

Sintali and SGS collaborate as a global EDGE certification partner, serving as a one-stop shop for EDGE certification and audit services.

"The EDGE application is suitable to help companies implement green building certification in a number of buildings. The EDGE application helped us identify the most cost-effective options for green design and we were able to create an efficient process for evaluating and certifying all 40 buildings in less than six months”, says Mihai Podorka, Project Manager, WDP Romania.

EDGE award was linked to the IFC Green Financing Package and the financing agreement between the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the WDP. This green loan, along with other financial support, is designed to stimulate Romania's infrastructure and create jobs in a modern, healthy and sustainable work environment.

EDGE certificates are displayed at WDP sites in Romania, and the company will use EDGE standards to design and build new sites throughout the country.