CB Richard Ellis Group, Inc. (CBRE) has enrolled 225 office buildings in the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design - Existing Building (LEED EB) Program, an achievement that will significantly increase the number of existing office buildings operated under "green" standards. Enrollment of the properties is the first step in the process for attaining LEED EB certification.
At the end of 2007, CBRE committed to enroll a minimum 100 buildings in the then-emerging LEED EB process; 18 months later the company is now the largest third-party manager of buildings in the leading program for environmental sustainability. The properties that CBRE enrolled in the LEED EB program total more than 57 million s/f and are owned by more than 55 different investors and corporations in 21 states.
"When we made our commitment in 2007 there were fewer than 60 buildings in the entire country with LEED EB designation," said David Pogue, CBRE's national director of sustainability. "The key to our success has been building a strong foundation, by 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."
CBRE currently manages 17 buildings that have attained LEED EB certification, more than any other commercial property management firm. The total is expected to grow to 50 buildings by year end.
For the second year in a row, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) named CB Richard Ellis an Energy Star Partner of the Year, the only commercial real estate services firm recognized with that award this year. More than 1,200 CBRE-managed buildings are participating in the program, significantly more than any other third-party management company. Since 2008, more than 220 of these properties totaling 73 million s/f were recognized for exemplary performance by Energy Starthrough the award of the Energy Starplaque.