As part of its $90 million Global Environmental Efficiency Program launched last year, HSBC ‘s Canary Wharf office tower has become the tallest corporate headquarter building in Europe to feature solar panels. Covering 617 square meters of the roof of the building, it is also the largest installation of photovoltaic panels on a corporate office in London, the company announced.
The company says it expects the array to generate more than 1.5 million kwh of electricity over the building’s lease — or enough energy to power 20 UK homes per year.
HSBC also announced that it has decreased its energy consumption at its headquarters by seven percent, or 20 percent per full-time employee since 2004.
HSBC expects to save another three percent of its total energy consumption at its global headquarters over the next two years through energy efficient measures including improving the efficiency of the building’s air conditioning system.
European business leaders think that protecting the environment should be the number one priority for global political leaders, placing this policy area ahead of sustaining economic growth or securing future energy supplies, according to the UPS Europe Business Monitor.