ENVIRONMENTAL
INTRODUCTION
SUSTAINABILITY OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGY
CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP
GOVERNANCE AND TRANSPARENT REPORTING
APPENDICES
LANDSCAPING AND GREEN ROOFS ESRT has six green roofs at the Empire State Building and numerous gardens across our portfolio. All new landscaping is required to be native and adaptive with plants that are insect- and disease-resistant. We use organic and natural materials whenever feasible. INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT To minimize pest infestations and exposure to pesticides, we developed an integrated pest management program that can be found in our Sustainability Guidelines, which all building staff and third-party vendors must follow. These stringent guidelines include procedures that involve monitoring and reporting, communication, environmental control, documentation, and preventative pest management best practices. FOREST PRESERVATION ESRT offsets residual fossil fuel emissions with validated clean energy generation. For the past three years, ESRT partnered with ACT Commodities and 18 Reserves Forest Carbon Project to offset 100% of the portfolio’s non-electric energy usage, which includes all steam, natural gas, and fuel oil energy consumption. This partnership contributes to the conservation of approximately 9,000 acres of carbon-sequestering biodiverse forest in Ohio through improved forest ecosystem management techniques. In 2025, we will continue to offset 100% of our non-electric usage with the Empire Riverlands Forest Project, 47,783 acres of primarily northern hardwood forests across Lewis, Oneida, and Herkimer counties in New York. This new project generates verifiable carbon credits, supports our local economy, and protects biodiversity through sustainable forestry in New York. The project takes a holistic approach to conservation; it increases tree seedling regeneration, addresses pests, improves forest species diversity, restores wetlands and streams, controls invasive species, conducts prescribed burns, reforests meadows, and creates wildlife habitats where animals can thrive. These actions improve forest health, make it resilient to extreme weather, boost its ability to act as a carbon sink, and enhance its ability to provide recreational and income-generating opportunities for local communities. New management of the forest will focus on lighter sustainable harvests, allow natural forest growth to enhance carbon sequestration via above- and below-ground biomass and standing dead wood while maintaining ecosystem health.
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2024 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT
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