NEW YORK, Sept. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Diageo, the
world's leading premium spirits, wine and beer company, today
announced that its New York City
office has been awarded the US Green Building Council's (USGBC)
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design LEED-CI (Commercial
Interior) Gold Certification, the most prestigious and
internationally-recognized standard for sustainable design,
construction and operation in the world. This is the second Gold
distinction to be awarded to Diageo in the US, with the first
awarded last year for Diageo's Chicago office. The Diageo "Spirit" building
in Madrid was awarded Gold
certification last year as well.
"Measuring and managing our environmental impact is essential to
the financial sustainability of our supply chain and one of our key
business priorities," said John
Pursell, Vice President Real Estate and Facilities for
Diageo North America. "We are constantly evaluating the efficiency
and performance of our facilities and are proud to achieve the LEED
Gold certification in our New York
office. The second Gold certification is an important milestone
toward achieving our environmental goals for our facilities in
North America."
LEED principles drove Diageo's New
York office renovation project from its conception, with
Diageo scoring highly in all LEED categories of energy and
atmosphere, sustainable sites, indoor environmental quality,
materials and resources, water efficiency and innovation in design.
The design was focused on leveraging the available natural light,
reducing the power required to light the interior.
Additionally, 100 percent of newly purchased equipment and
appliances are Energy Star rated. Almost half of the new furniture
is made up of recycled materials and 32 percent of furniture was
reused. In addition, 95 percent of the refuse generated during
construction was recycled and nearly a quarter of the materials
used in the project were manufactured within 500 miles of the
site.
Developed by the USGBC in March
2000, LEED provides building owners and operators with a
framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable
green building design, construction, operations and maintenance
solutions. The certification process evaluates all construction
standards regarding sustainability and respect for the
environment.
According to the USGBC, LEED-CI is the recognized system for
certifying high-performance green interiors that are healthy,
productive places to work; are less costly to operate and maintain;
and have a reduced environmental footprint. LEED-CI enables
tenants and designers to make sustainable choices for their
specific space, especially when control over entire building
operations is not possible.
About Diageo
Diageo (Dee-AH-Gee-O) is the world's leading premium drinks
business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands
across spirits, beer and wine. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, JεB, Windsor, Buchanan's and Bushmills whiskies, Smirnoff,
Ciroc and Ketel One vodkas, Baileys, Captain Morgan, Jose Cuervo, Tanqueray and Guinness.
Diageo is a global company, with its products sold in more than
180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the
New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE).
For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and
performance, visit us at Diageo.com. For our global resource that
promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice
tools, information and initiatives, visit DRINKiQ.com.
Celebrating life, every day, everywhere.
SOURCE Diageo