CBRE receives 2008 USGBC Leadership Award

CB Richard Ellis received the 2008 U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership Award for Organizational Excellence at the seventh annual USGBC Greenbuild International Conference and Expo. The firm was recognized for leadership in environmental corporate responsibility and for vision and commitment to the evolution of green building design and construction. The USGBC presented awards in six categories including Community, Education, LEED, Organizational Excellence, Research and Advocacy. CB Richard Ellis, which shared the award for Organizational Excellence with the American Institute of Architects (AIA), was recognized as the first real estate services firm to announce a pledge to be carbon neutral by 2010. To help achieve this goal, CBRE has established an international task force to develop internal policies and business practices, aggregate best practices on a global basis, and develop educational programs for clients and employees. In the U.S., the firm has instituted a wide range of energy efficiency programs for the commercial buildings it manages; more than 150 buildings managed by CBRE are undergoing evaluation for inclusion in a pilot portfolio LEED EB program in conjunction with the USGBC. A study by CBRE found that more than two thirds of the buildings it surveyed are taking steps toward energy efficiency, reducing water usage and introducing paper recycling programs, and more than 100 of the company's professionals have received LEED AP accreditation. CBRE was also recognized for compliance with the EPA's Energy Star program and the adoption of the Building Owners and Managers Association's (BOMA) Building Energy Efficiency Program (BEEP), an extensive education program that teaches commercial real estate professionals how to reduce energy consumption. Earlier this year, the EPA named CB Richard Ellis an Energy Star Partner of the Year for outstanding energy management and reductions in greenhouse gas emission