Toronto, July 19, 2011: Cushman & Wakefield and Integrity Energy Services announced
today a unique agreement with CSA Standards, which will see the global commercial real estate
firm and its energy consulting partner take a leadership role in supporting the efforts of
commercial real estate properties and enterprises to comply with CSA Standard’s first-of-a-kind
CSA Registered Carbon Neutral™ Program.
As the industry leader in supporting the program, Pierre Bergevin, President & CEO of
Cushman & Wakefield was on hand to help Bonnie Rose, President, Canadian Standards
Association, unveil the CSA Registered Carbon NeutralTM Program for commercial real estate
owners and enterprises and the pending agreement at the CSA Standard’s Annual Conference and
Committee Week in Victoria on June 14. The event was aptly themed, "Planning for a
Sustainable Future ... Moving from Talk to Action".
Under the agreement, Cushman & Wakefield’s Green Business Standards (GBS) -- the
partnership between Cushman & Wakefield and Integrity Energy Services -- will offer
scalable, integrated services and products that align with the CSA Registered Carbon Neutral™
Program.
“This agreement enables GBS to effectively walk our commercial real estate clients along a
clearly marked path that will help them achieve consistent positive results in reducing their
carbon footprint. Our qualified solutions are geared to ensuring that initiatives comply with
the new global standards-based program, which could lead our clients to receiving the CSA
Registered Carbon NeutralTM Label –recognition for carbon neutrality,” said Mr. Bergevin.
With high-energy prices and the mounting evidence of climate change damage, the commercial real
estate sector – which accounts for an estimated 40% of global energy consumption -- is
increasingly responding to the urgent need to reduce its dependency on fossil fuels, achieve
significant cost savings and meet Corporate Social Responsibility objectives.
Sustainability construction, retrofits and other green-related enterprise initiatives have
become increasingly mainstream, driven by building owners, tenants and employees. Numerous
incentives include operating cost reductions, helping the environment, creating healthier
workplaces, and improving long-term competitiveness.
Research shows that sustainable buildings and work environments lead to reduced costs and
higher productivity, also helping to attract and retain employees.
In explaining the aligned services offered by GBS, James Baskin, President of Integrity
Energy Services, said: “GBS was designed from the ground up to help commercial real estate
enterprises of all sizes integrate sustainability into their business model to reduce carbon
emissions, reduce costs and reduce risks. The CSA Registered Carbon Neutral™ Label offers a
guiding goal, allowing our customers to assess their carbon footprint against a recognized
standards-based program and proceed on a strong path of sustainability.”
Added Geoff Moffat, Cushman & Wakefield GBS Business Partner: “GBS offers a full range
of practical services and partner support that complement our clients’ sustainability business
goals. Some of our differentiators include transparent reporting, targets, actionable solutions
and ROI results. Our agreement with CSA enhances our value proposition to our clients.”
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Cushman & Wakefield is the world's largest privately-held commercial real estate
services firm. Founded in 1917, it has 234 offices in 61 countries and more than 13,000
employees. The firm represents a diverse customer base ranging from small businesses to Fortune
500 companies. It offers a complete range of services within five primary disciplines:
Transaction Services, Capital Markets, Corporate Occupiers & Investor Services, Consulting
Services and Valuation & Advisory. A recognized leader in global real estate research, the
firm publishes a broad array of proprietary reports available on its online Knowledge Center at
www.cushmanwakefield.com.
Integrity Energy Services specializes in delivering innovative energy and
sustainability services and solutions for the commercial real estate, hospitality and
enterprise sectors. Integrity serves clients throughout North America, offering expertise in
energy purchasing, energy efficiency solutions, carbon emissions analysis and long-term
sustainability planning. An innovator in sustainability solutions, Integrity works in close
partnership with its clients, as well as with Standards Organizations, to create recognized
solutions that reduce carbon emissions and support sustainability objectives. www.integritypowered.com
Green Business Standards (GBS) is a unique business partnership between Cushman
& Wakefield and energy consultant Integrity Energy Services. GBS offers commercial real
estate property owners and enterprises a comprehensive platform of services designed to meet
short- and long-term sustainability and business goals. GBS’s ROI-backed solutions for real
estate energy efficiency and enterprise carbon footprint management are aligned to a global
standards–based program set out by the CSA Standards’ CSA Registered Carbon NeutralTM Label and
Registry Program for commercial real estate and enterprises.