April 14, 2008 - Warehouse developer ProLogis has completed a distribution center for U.K. retailer Sainsbury's that has the lowest carbon footprint of any such facility in Europe, according to the company's latest annual sustainability report.

The 624,000-square-foot distribution facility in Northampton, completed in October, exceeds U.K. green-building regulations by 40%. Green features include an on-site combined heat and power generation plant, air-tight construction to maintain interior temperature levels, and wall-mounted solar panels to generate electricity and passive warehouse heating. ProLogis purchased carbon credits to offset 110% of the building's remaining climate emissions.

In January, ProLogis pledged to develop all of its new warehouses to national green building standards in the United States and the U.K. (purshing LEED and BREEAM certifications, respectively). By 2010, the company aims to use 20% recycled-content construction materials and divert 75% of construction waste from landfill, and reduce water use for landscaping by 50%.

In February, ProLogis joined the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX), a voluntary, legally binding greenhouse gas reduction program. The company is currently working with organization to develop a protocol for CCX members to earn carbon offsets for the energy performance of their buildings.

Read ProLogis's 2007 sustainability report here.