May 14, 2008 - Simon Property Group, which runs 300 malls and shopping centers throughout the U.S., says it has slashed emissions and cut costs significantly thanks to energy-efficiency upgrades across its real estate portfolio, Austin Business Journal reports.

Simon says that between 2003 and 2006 the company has boosted energy efficiency at its commercial properties by 10%, for an annual savings of $11 million. The company estimates its efforts have cut carbon emissions by 68,000 metric tons.

Energy upgrades at Simon's Barton Creek Square Mall in Austin, Texas, for example, include lighting retrofits, high-efficiency heating, cooling, and ventilation equipment, and low-flow water fixtures in public restrooms. Simon estimates that in the four years since the mall began its energy-efficiency overhaul, the property has cut greenhouse gas emissions by 421 tons.