Energy Star Partner of the year 2008
New York, NY – March 4, 2008 – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has named CB Richard Ellis Group, Inc. as a 2008 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for outstanding energy management and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. CBRE’s accomplishments will be recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on April 1, 2008.
Across the U.S., top companies and organizations are continuing to promote strategic energy management through participation in ENERGY STAR. CB Richard Ellis will be honored for smart energy management practices and investments throughout its operations that resulted in significant energy and financial savings in their managed portfolio. CBRE is the only commercial real estate services firm so recognized this year with a Partner of the Year award.
In May 2007, CBRE announced a commitment to become carbon neutral in its own operations by 2010—making it the first commercial real estate services company to announce such a goal. In addition, CBRE is assisting its clients with energy efficiency programs at the 1.7 billion sq. ft. of building space it manages around the world.
In the United States, CBRE has instituted a wide range of programs for the commercial buildings it manages, including the launch of an innovative recycling pilot program, in conjunction with Georgia-Pacific and the EPA, for office buildings; adopting the Building Owners and Managers Association’s (BOMA) Energy Efficiency Program (BEEP), an extensive education program that teaches commercial real estate professionals how to reduce energy consumption, as well as BOMA’s 7-Point Challenge for reducing the use of natural resources, non-renewable energy sources and waste production; the establishment of the Green Knights, a nationwide team of sustainability advocates; the development and introduction of “101 Tips for Successful Sustainability”; the introduction of a 12 Step “Standards of Sustainability” for all managed office assets; and the pending enrollment of a minimum of 100 major U.S. office properties from the firm’s asset services portfolio in the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Portfolio Program. The program enables owners to integrate the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design® (LEED) green building rating system into existing buildings and do so in a cost-effective way without sacrificing the technical rigor and integrity of LEED.
“Receiving one of the EPA’s highest honors within less than a year of our carbon neutrality pledge underscores the extraordinary efforts CBRE’s employees and clients have taken to ensure our managed properties are operating at the highest possible levels of environmental and energy efficiency,” said David Pogue, Senior Managing Director of CBRE’s Asset Services Group and head of the company’s green initiative for its 635 million-sq.-ft. U.S. property management portfolio. “As both a socially responsible organization and the world’s largest commercial real estate services firm, we have made a commitment to being a leader in changing the way buildings operate, recognizing that now is the time to act to decrease energy consumption and increase environmental sustainability.”
Last year alone, Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved $16 billion on their energy bills and reduced greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 27 million vehicles.
The 2008 Partner of the Year Awards recognize efforts to use energy efficiently in facility operations and to integrate superior energy management into overall organizational strategy. Award winners are selected from more than 9,000 organizations that participate in the ENERGY STAR program.
“CBRE’s leadership in managing their energy use is a model for other businesses looking for ways to protect the environment,” said Robert J. Meyers, principal deputy assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Air & Radiation. “Because commercial and industrial facilities account for half of all energy consumption in the U.S. and are responsible for nearly half of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, energy management is a critical element in our efforts on climate change.”