SANTA ANA, CA - Grubb & Ellis Company, a leading real estate services and investment firm, today announced that the company will participate in the World Wildlife Fund's Earth Hour 2011 by turning off non-essential lights and electrical equipment at all offices occupied by the firm. Grubb & Ellis is also encouraging tenants of the 302 million square feet of space managed by the company on behalf of clients to participate.
Earth Hour will take place on Saturday, March 26, from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time. Grubb & Ellis and its clients will join more than 50 million supporters and a global network in more than 100 countries with the common goal to stop the degradation of the Earth's natural environment and build awareness for climate change.
"We are proud that with the flip of a switch, Grubb & Ellis will unite in spirit with its clients and millions of people around the world to take action and raise awareness of climate change – a cause that affects everyone on Earth," said Thomas P. D'Arcy, president and chief executive officer of Grubb & Ellis. "We are committed to making an environmental difference and recognize the importance of treating the Earth with care in all that we do."
In conjunction with powering down equipment and lights, Grubb & Ellis will support the WWF's new cause, Beyond the Hour, calling for continued support when the lights come back on after Earth Hour. The company will distribute to employees, clients and tenants of properties under management a one-month calendar with daily activities that benefit the Earth. The calendar will offer participants an opportunity to bridge Earth Hour to Earth Day and keep climate change top of mind.
More than 110 of Grubb & Ellis' professionals have earned the LEED AP, LEED Green Associate, Green Advantage, Certified Green Broker, Certified Energy Management Professional and/or Renewable Energy Professional designations.
In July 2010, Grubb & Ellis was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy to participate in the pilot program for the Global Superior Energy Performance Partnership. The company is one of six major U.S. corporations plus the GSA, and the only commercial real estate firm, participating in the Partnership, an international, market based, certification program that provides industry and commercial facilities with a pathway for achieving continuous improvement in energy efficiency.
Through the company's Greening Our Offices program, Grubb & Ellis uses a creative, structured approach to encourage its local offices to adopt sustainable business practices to advance knowledge-sharing and build awareness among all employees. The goal of the program is for sustainability to become second nature and core to the company's operations. In addition, Grubb & Ellis participates in the Carbon Disclosure Project, annually measuring and seeking to reduce its carbon footprint by teaming with many of its vendors to facilitate the adoption of environmentally friendly products and services in support of its workforce.
For clients, Grubb & Ellis advances green real estate practices through its Sustainability Group, which provides long-term operational solutions and cost savings for environmental challenges through various services, including transaction guidance, property and facility management, construction and project management and portfolio planning and management. The company's proprietary Roadmap to Sustainability tool incorporates participation in the EPA's Energy Star program, as well as low to no cost solutions and LEED certification guidelines to benchmark the performance of properties Grubb & Ellis manages for its clients. This in turn drives greater operational efficiency, lower costs and a reduced environmental impact.
Grubb & Ellis Company (NYSE: GBE) is one of the largest and most respected commercial real estate services and investment companies in the world. Our 5,200 professionals in more than 100 company-owned and affiliate offices draw from a unique platform of real estate services, practice groups and investment products to deliver comprehensive, integrated solutions to real estate owners, tenants and investors. The firm's transaction, management, consulting and investment services are supported by highly regarded proprietary market research and extensive local expertise. Through its investment management business, the company is a leading sponsor of real estate investment programs. For more information, visit www.grubb-ellis.com.
Source: Grubb & Ellis Company