Macerich Earns #1 Ranking In North American Retail Sector In 2016 From Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB)

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Sept. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Macerich MAC, one of the nation's leading owners, operators and developers of one-of-a-kind retail properties in top markets, today announced that it has achieved the #1 ranking in the North American retail sector in 2016 for the second consecutive year according to scores published by Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB). GRESB is a leading measure of sustainability performance for real estate portfolios around the world.

Even as the company retains its top ranking for the second year in a row, Macerich improved its overall GRESB score by six points – rising from 78 in 2015 to 84 in 2016.

"Macerich is firmly committed to responsible environmental stewardship in everything we do, and this #1 GRESB ranking for the second straight year highlights our ongoing sustainability efforts and considerable achievements," said Eric Salo, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, Macerich. "We will continue to invest in meaningful and innovative ways to reduce our carbon footprint and conserve natural resources as we also achieve greater economic efficiencies in our utility programs."

A top performer in GRESB's Green Star Ratings for three years running, Macerich is well recognized across the industry for its leadership in sustainability. Major awards include the prestigious 2014 and 2015 NAREIT Retail "Leader in the Light," as well as numerous LEED® Gold certifications from the U.S. Green Building Council, and multiple awards of excellence from various chapters of NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association. Macerich also earned a place on CDP's 2015 Climate A List, which comprises those companies identified as A grade for their actions to mitigate climate change. As well, in 2015 Macerich was recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency's Green Power Partnership, which ranked the company 20^th on its list of Top 30 On-Site Generation companies. 

Key results of Macerich's successful and comprehensive focus on sustainability include 205 million kWhs of electricity reduced since 2008; 350,730 metric tons reduced in greenhouse gas emissions over the past six years; 17,000 tons of waste recycled in 2015; 98.3 million gallons of water saved in 2015; and over 14,500 metric tons of CO2e saved per year by retrofitting lighting in parking lots and structures with LED lighting.

For more information on Macerich's sustainability efforts and impacts, please view the 2015 Sustainability Report.

About Macerich

Macerich, an S&P 500 company, is a fully integrated self-managed and self-administered real estate investment trust, which focuses on the acquisition, leasing, management, development and redevelopment of regional malls throughout the United States.

Macerich currently owns 55 million square feet of real estate consisting primarily of interests in 50 regional shopping centers. Macerich specializes in successful retail properties in many of the country's most attractive, densely populated markets with significant presence in the Pacific Rim, Arizona, Chicago and the Metro New York to Washington, D.C. corridor. Additional information about Macerich can be obtained from the Company's website: www.macerich.com.

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SOURCE Macerich