Headquartered in New York, MetLife is a provider of insurance and other financial services.
The company’s Bridgewater, New Jersey; Oriskany, New York; and Somerset, New Jersey sites earned Gold certifications, while the Aurora, Illinois office earned a Silver certification as part of the USGBC’s Portfolio Program and volume certification process.
The USGBC’s LEED EB program aims to encourage the implementation of sustainable practices in commercial buildings, creating healthier and more productive workspaces. The USGBC’s Portfolio Program is a pilot that enables the integration of such standards and operations into several buildings within company’s portfolio simultaneously, using a cost effective and streamlined process called volume certification.
John Vazquez, vice president, vendor sourcing and corporate services & chief procurement officer, states, “Over the past four years, we have reduced our energy consumption by more than 15%.”
To earn LEED EB certifications, the buildings’ operations, maintenance practices and procedures were reviewed to ensure energy efficiency and sustainability based on the USGBC’s high performance green building standards. Each location’s water efficiency, indoor air quality, lighting, material use and site management were taken into consideration when pursuing the certification.
MetLife worked closely with property manager Cushman & Wakefield to achieve the certifications.
These recent recognitions bring the total MetLife owned and/or operated LEED certified properties to six, in addition to the company’s 11 ENERGY STAR-rated facilities.
