According to CB Richard Ellis Group, Inc (CBRE), 50 projects in its U.S. management portfolio have obtained the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Existing Buildings certification through the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED is recognized as the premier third-party certification for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. Specifically focusing on the operation and maintenance of structures, LEED for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB) helps building owners and operators maximize operational efficiency while minimizing environmental impacts.
The projects that have obtained the certification total more than 29 million s/f in 70 buildings, owned by 22 different investors and corporations throughout the country. The projects include such high profile buildings as One Beacon St. in Boston, 2000 Avenue of the Stars in Los Angeles, Accenture Tower in Minneapolis and Lincoln Plaza in Dallas. Additional LEED-EB certified buildings managed by CBRE within the Greater Boston region include One Boston Place and 10 St. James Ave. in Boston and the Concord Rd. Corporate Center in Billerica.
"We could not be more proud of CBRE's ever-growing portfolio of LEED certified projects. What better way to tackle our collective environmental challenges head-on than to start by retrofitting our existing building stock, ensuring better use of energy and fewer impacts to our natural resources," said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair of the USGBC. "CBRE, along with the owners of these buildings, are model examples of business and environmental leadership at its best."
CBRE currently has engaged an additional 59 projects, representing 100 buildings and 40 million s/f, in the certification process, which are expected to be completed by the end of this year. CBRE manages more than 9% of all LEED-EB sites globally and nearly 13% of the total square footage of LEED-EB certified properties. As such, CBRE is the largest third-party manager of commercial buildings in the leading program for environmental sustainability.
"We are proud of our professionals who have achieved this mark of superior performance for our clients and who are working every day to reduce the environmental impact of commercial buildings worldwide," said Dave Pogue, national director of sustainability at CBRE.
The LEED-EB certification effort is part of CBRE's environmental commitment, announced in May 2007, to assist clients with energy efficiency programs and sustainability initiatives in the properties the Company manages around the world.

CBRE was ranked among Newsweek's top 50 greenest large companies in America. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has named CBRE an Energy Star Partner of the Year for three consecutive years and has recently recognized CBRE with its Sustained Excellence award. USGBC has awarded CB Richard Ellis its Leadership Award for Organizational Excellence and the industry group, CoreNet, recognized CBRE with a special commendation for Sustainable Leadership and Design - Development.
CBRE is one of the world's largest commercial real estate services firms (in terms of 2009 revenue). The company has approximately 29,000 employees (excluding affiliates), and serves real estate owners, investors and occupiers through more than 300 offices (excluding affiliates) worldwide. CBRE has been named a BusinessWeek 50 "best in class" company for three years in a row.
CB Richard Ellis' New England practice has offices in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine and New Hampshire. The firm serves real estate owners, investors and occupiers by offering strategic advice and execution for: property leasing and sales, property facilities and project management, corporate services, debt and equity financing, investment management, valuation and appraisal, research and investment strategy, and consulting.