D&L Industries Inc., the country’s top specialty food ingredients and oleochemicals producer, has successfully received a LEEDv4 Gold Certification from Barone International for the six-storey central hub of its newly operational P10.5 billion plant in Batangas.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), the firm said this is part of its aim to be a truly sustainable and world-class Filipino manufacturing company.

LEED or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification is a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement and is the world’s most widely used green building rating system. 

It provides a framework for healthy, highly efficient, and cost-saving green buildings, which offer environmental, social and governance benefits.

D&L’s central hub earned a total of 60 points out of the maximum 80 points, for its various features which adhere to the prerequisites that address carbon, energy, water, waste, transportation, materials, health and indoor environmental quality. 

This has earned the building a Gold rating, which is the second highest rating under LEED Certification. To date, there are only about 42 LEED Platinum and Gold-certified buildings in the Philippines.

“Right at the very beginning, it was our intention to have sustainability at the core of our new plant in Batangas,” said D&L President and CEO Alvin Lao. 

He added that “the plant itself is dedicated towards the manufacturing of higher value added, sustainable, organic, and natural products that harness the power of coconut oil." 

“And true to our advocacy, we wanted to keep to a minimum level the carbon footprint of the operations itself by designing an efficient and sustainable facility,” he also said.

D&L’s Batangas plant showcases state of the art technology in manufacturing as well as global best practices in incorporating sustainability in operations. 

Among its key features include sustainability-designed buildings, renewable fuel sources, centralized chilled water system, smart water metering and water recycling programs. 

The plant will also be equipped with modern technology to monitor key parameters such as air emissions quality, wastewater effluent, and noise emissions to ensure compliance with regulatory limits.

The central hub’s sustainable architectural design maximizes the influx of natural light, enriching internal spaces with a bright and airy ambiance while reflecting solar heat. 

Compared with ASHRAE 90.1-2010 which is the international benchmark used for rating the energy efficiency of buildings, the central hub is 20 percent more efficient than non-green buildings. 

Meanwhile, the building’s water recycling system alone generates a 67 percent average savings from baseline or equivalent to one Olympic-sized pool in annual water savings.

Lastly, and more importantly, the building design places people at the forefront, focusing not just on the physical structure but also on the human experience.

The key building features that promote a healthy indoor environment include indoor air quality management, thermal comfort, preference for the use of low-emitting and non-emitting materials, natural light, and quality views. 

This people-centric approach underlines D&L’s commitment to creating spaces that are not only environmentally responsible but also holistically beneficial to those who inhabit them.

“Our new plant in Batangas is a next generation facility that embodies our advocacy to create a truly sustainable future. With this plant, we are proud and excited to offer to the world sustainable, natural, and organic products that are manufactured by a Filipino-owned, world-class facility,” Lao said.