Hyundai takes on role as steward for environment

HYUNDAI Asia Resources Inc. (Hari), government and media grace the inauguration of the Hyundai Logistics Center in Calamba, Laguna, that coincided with the launch of the all-new Hyundai Tucson and the i20 Cross Sport. Officials present include (from left) Alexander Cabrera, chair and senior partner, Isla Lipana & Co.; Mayor Justin Marc SB Chipeco of Calamba City; Hari vice chair Conrad Marty; Laguna Rep. Joaquin Chipeco Jr.; Hari chair emeritus Richard Lee; Hari CEO Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo; Philippine Star president Miguel Belmonte; Hari chair Edward Go; Inquirer president Sandy Prieto-Romualdez; Park Sang-min, president at Hyundai Motor Company Asia-Pacific Regional Headquarters, and Park Jin-young, Hyundai Motor Co. export department head senior general manager. EUGENE ARANETA

IT WOULD take a certain level of commitment for a vehicle manufacturer to take to heart the duty of being a steward of the environment.

The reality is that many forms of transportation continue to contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, and despite the growing trend toward the green or eco-friendly cars, the global automotive market still has a long way to go to make these environmentally sustainable forms of transportation more commercially available and economically viable worldwide.

But there are other ways that could contribute as significantly, as Hyundai Asia Resources Inc. (Hari) has aptly shown.

The official distributor of the South Korean vehicle manufacturer recently inaugurated its P1.2-billion Hyundai Logistics Center (HLC) in Calamba, Laguna, which was seen to pave the way for an eco-friendly work environment, uphold the well-being of employees, and catalyze growth in both the automotive and property sectors.

“We took a bold move in putting up this first green logistics center in order for us really to build a case for responsible innovation. Green technology should not refer to just car models but also to green operations, meaning from the time that the car is assembled and delivered to the customer, it should undergo green processes,” Hari president and CEO Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo said on the sidelines of the center’s inauguration ceremony last week.

According to Agudo, Hari has always been engaged in environmental stewardship programs, but stressed that there is always something left to do.

“One of Hari’s values in business is environment protection, and the HLC is a realization of this principle. Today, the environment yearns for better care and Hari seeks to make a positive contribution by becoming an environment steward. With the serious need for green buildings and with capable technology at hand, Hari is bringing in HLC at an opportune time,” Agudo explained.

“We realized that we lacked this one thing: a concrete and unmistakable statement of our commitment as a business and a responsible corporate citizen to responsible innovation,” she further noted.

The 10-hectare HLC will be aimed at consolidating the car importer’s operations under a single roof. Through this facility, said to be the first green automotive logistics center in the country, Hari will be able to streamline the process flow, enabling it to become more efficient and productive, and have better quality control over the vehicles.

The development of the HLC is being done in two phases. The recently completed first phase, which cost P700 million, saw the construction of a logistics center that houses the stockyard and warehouse operations capable of accommodating some 5,000 vehicles at any given time, and part of the training academy. More than half of the HLC or about 6 hectares have been dedicated for the stockyard alone, which could accommodate the equivalent of nine football fields.

The P500-million Phase 2 development, construction of which will start early next year, will have a car museum and a 12-story office that will house the Hyundai Academy and the Center for Climate Change, to which Hari has committed to building as part of the company’s corporate social responsibility efforts.

HLC is also home to the Global Dealership Space Identity model showroom, which is a new standard being implemented by Hyundai Motor Co. across all its dealerships worldwide. This meant that all Hyundai showrooms will have a unified design whether in the Philippines or anywhere else in the world.

According to Agudo, the HLC had also stringently followed the guidelines set by the Philippine Green Building Initiative (PGBI) for sustainable development, which included energy efficiency, sustainability, water and energy efficiency and occupant well-being.

This enabled the HLC to earn the “Kamagong” rating which is the highest distinction for green buildings given by this group of professional development associations.

“Following the standards of the PGBI meant an additional 9 percent to our costs. We were willing to do that because we want to be sustainable. It will take us three years to recover our green cost, which for us is very feasible and acceptable. We know this is the only way to sustain operations of the business in the country, with Hyundai being at the forefront of addressing climate change,” Agudo said.

The HLC boasts of a number of green features in lighting and ventilation. The facility uses only LED lighting fixtures, which reduce energy consumption up to 52.2 percent. Some areas like the warehouse use light monitors to capture natural light and cut the use of artificial lighting during daytime. A number of solar panels were also installed in other areas of the facility.

The center also has its own water facility to cut consumption, enabling Hari to reuse water from the car preparation areas, and also collect rainwater for use on siphoning, irrigation, or other uses. It treats wastewater to reduce harmful chemicals that may harm the environment.

To further maximize the potential of what used to house a textile factory, the landscape architects of Espina, Perez-Espina & Associates filled the area with greenery through the installation of roof gardens, which could further insulate the buildings and reduce temperature in the area by up to 5 degrees.

“HLC is Hyundai’s flagship contribution to the national agency for sustainability. [This center] is our pioneer endeavor that shows the we are serious about addressing the impact of climate change. It should set the standard for green buildings for the country’s automakers and distributors,” Agudo said.