Vertical Bridge REIT, LLC, a DigitalBridge Group (NYSE: DBRG) portfolio company, announced that it has achieved CarbonNeutral® company certification through 2023, in accordance with The CarbonNeutral Protocol, the global framework for carbon neutrality. The company claims to be the world’s first 100 percent carbon neutral tower company, even as it doubled its portfolio of communications infrastructure to over 500,000 sites in the U.S.
In response to Inside Towers’ questions regarding what physical changes that Vertical Bridge implements at its sites to sustain its carbon neutral footprint, a company spokesperson replied, “Relating to physical sites and surrounding equipment, VB has taken many steps to decrease its carbon footprint. Two examples follow. VB has changed and upgraded its own onsite tower generators and HVAC systems to newer, more efficient models with better SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) ratings. This lowers VB’s electricity consumption across its tower portfolio.”
The spokesperson continued, “In addition, VB is continuously assessing and taking advantage of opportunities to safely replace older, steady-burn, incandescent lights on any towers we own or manage with avian-friendly systems, and replace building and tower lighting with lower-energy consuming LED systems. These sustainability initiatives are just a small part of the equation contributing to mitigating VB’s overall carbon footprint. The company will continue in these efforts to lessen its environmental impact.”
Vertical Bridge undertook a proactive review of its environmental footprint in 2020, leading to its initial CarbonNeutral® Certification. The company says that it has maintained carbon neutrality every year since.
“We’ve been focused on environmentally conscious initiatives since our founding in 2014, and are committed to remaining an industry leader on carbon neutrality,” said Ronald G. Bizick II, Vertical Bridge CEO. “The major U.S. carriers are working to reduce their environmental impact as well as the impact of entities in their value chain, and Vertical Bridge remains a key partner in that endeavor.”
To achieve CarbonNeutral® certification, Vertical Bridge worked with Climate Impact Partners, a specialist firm involved in carbon market solutions for climate action, which conducted an independent assessment of the greenhouse gas emissions produced from its towers and communications infrastructure, offices, business travel, HVAC, material transportation, as well as other parts of its carbon footprint.
Vertical Bridge offset unavoidable emissions through support for projects that focus on nature-based climate solutions and resource recovery, renewable energy, clean water, and increased fuel efficiency.
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