Sustainability Efforts Continue Progress
Los Angeles, CA – April 22, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — CB Richard Ellis Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBG) today announced that it has certified its 100th building under the LEED® for Existing Buildings rating system, demonstrating the company’s industry leadership and satisfying a 2007 commitment to achieve 100 building certifications in the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED program. CB Richard Ellis is the first manager of commercial property to have 100 buildings certified under the LEED for Existing Buildings rating system.
The properties certified range in size from 100,000 sq. ft. to 1.8 million sq. ft. and are located in major markets throughout the United States, including New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, San Francisco, Seattle and Dallas. LEED is internationally recognized as the premier third-party certification for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings.
“When we made our commitment to the USGBC’s LEED program in 2007 there were fewer than 60 buildings in the entire country with the LEED for Existing Buildings designation,” said Dave Pogue, CBRE’s National Director of Sustainability. “The key to our success has been both partnering effectively with our clients and deploying a strong internal certification team with great technical expertise and a genuine passion for enhancing sustainable practices in the buildings we manage.”
Specifically focused on building operation and maintenance, LEED for Existing Buildings helps property owners and operators maximize operational efficiency while minimizing environmental impacts. The buildings were certified by CBRE’s Sustainability Programs Group, a team of LEED for Existing Buildings experts that have achieved a 99% success rate on all credit points submitted to the USGBC for the 40 million sq. ft. of client properties certified. CBRE’s Sustainability Programs Group has completed LEED for Existing Buildings assessments on more than 500 projects internationally and expects to have certified 200 buildings by the end of 2011. The LEED certification effort is part of CBRE’s environmental strategy, announced in May 2007, to assist clients with energy efficiency programs and sustainability initiatives around the world.
“CBRE set the bar high when it committed to certify 100 buildings in 2007,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO and Founding Chair, USGBC. “By staying the path and making good on this promise, CBRE has set an outstanding example for its industry, and proved that greening a company’s building stock is not only doable, but worthwhile to the environment and building occupants. This incredible accomplishment is a key example of how business and environmental ethics intersect.”
The total number of LEED for Existing Buildings certifications worldwide has grown from less than 200 buildings at the end of 2008 to more than 1,000 today. Collectively, the 100 buildings certified by CBRE have saved 172 million kBtu of energy and 45 million gallons of water. Efforts related to their certifications have led to a reduction of nearly 30,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions.
In the U.S., CBRE offers a wide range of sustainability programs including the establishment of the Green Knights, a nationwide group of more than 100 sustainability advocates within the Company’s Asset Services and Global Corporate Services teams. More than 450 CBRE professionals globally have earned LEED Professional designations. Additionally, CBRE conducts BOMA BEEP (Building Owners and Managers Association’s Energy Efficiency Program) classes, a comprehensive training for overall energy and sustainability, that has attracted nearly 10,000 attendees.
In addition, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has again awarded CB Richard Ellis the ENERGY STAR® Sustained Excellence Award in recognition of its continued leadership in protecting the environment through energy efficiency. CBRE has been an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for four years in a row.
About CB Richard Ellis
CB Richard Ellis Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBG), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Los Angeles, is the world’s largest commercial real estate services firm (in terms of 2010 revenue). The Company has approximately 31,000 employees (excluding affiliates), and serves real estate owners, investors and occupiers through more than 300 offices (excluding affiliates) worldwide. CB Richard Ellis offers strategic advice and execution for property sales and leasing; corporate services; property, facilities and project management; mortgage banking; appraisal and valuation; development services; investment management; and research and consulting. Please visit our website at www.cbre.com
