Today, Verdigris Group, the highly-progressive and ultra-green real estate development, consulting, and brokerage company, celebrates their continued bright future of corporate social responsibility through their ongoing partnership with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF), characteristically coinciding with the U.S. Green Building Council's annual Greenbuild Conference and Expo in Phoenix, Arizona earlier this month.

Through cost-effective financial support of America's new renewable energy development projects, Verdigris Group, along with other progressive organizations such as The North Face, Major League Baseball, Wells Fargo, and The Nature Conservancy, continues to set the standard as a leader in sustainable business practices. "Through offsetting 100% of our operation's electricity, natural gas, and fuel consumption [both aircraft and automobile travel], by means of Renewable Energy Certificates [RECs], and through the purchase of BEF's Certified Green-e Climate Program's Renewable Wind and Solar Power Carbon Offsets, we proudly continue our mission of setting an accomplished organizational standard of sustainable business practice with regard to corporate social responsibility, which in the end is what will drive the future progress of genuinely sustainable business", said Garratt Hasenstab, LEED AP, Principal and Director of Sustainable Solutions with Verdigris Group.

BEF Carbon Offset purchases support new renewable energy projects, which provide clean energy to the national electric grid. All of the renewable sources of BEF's Carbon Offsets meet rigorous environmental criteria endorsed by three leading environmental organizations including The Natural Resources Defense Council. BEF is certified by the Center for Resource Solutions' (CRS) Green-e Climate program, an independent, voluntary, national nonprofit carbon offset consumer protection standard.

Since Verdigris Group's launch as a 100% carbon-neutral organization in 2007, the company based in Chicago with regional offices in Colorado, has developed a dynamic sustainable business model that reflects the primary business activities they perform on a day-to-day basis-Green Property Development, Green Building Consulting / LEED® Certification Management & Support Services, Energy Rating and LEED for Homes Green Rater Services and Sustainable Enterprise Management Consulting. Additionally, Verdigris Group's real estate brokerage division lays claim to be The World’s First Carbon Neutral Real Estate Brokerage™ with offices downtown Chicago and in Colorado, in keeping with the corporate mission.

Verdigris Group's real estate development division focuses solely on green building, demanding that each and every commercial and residential property they develop be Certified under the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED® (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) green building rating system. Hasenstab told us, "LEED Certified properties are truly a new category of property investment. Properties that are recognized and associated with this robust certification system [LEED] will continue to grow as a highly sought-after property-type, and indeed on the commercial side will become the new standard of Class A property."

The internationally recognized LEED® Green Building Certification System is a voluntary, consensus-based national rating system for buildings designed, constructed and operated for improved environmental and human health performance. LEED addresses all building types and emphasizes state-of-the-art strategies in five areas: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials and resources selection, and indoor environmental quality.

Mr. Hasenstab told us, "It's critical to our nation's future social, economic and environmental sustainability that the planning, design and construction of our built-environment, as well as the reconstruction of our legacy building-stock, be thoroughly supported by a triple bottom-line recognition of the impact that our activities have on our future success, and this, I believe is what the USGBC is accomplishing through its continuing leadership in this domain."

Verdigris Group's newest development project in the pipe-line, The Endeavor Townhomes to be located in Ft. Collins, Colorado will not only be seeking LEED Gold Certification, but also the coveted Energy Star for Homes Certification, which Hasenstab says, "will make each townhome a model of sustainable design and energy efficiency, as well as aesthetically and architecturally resonant within its surrounding community." Keep an eye out Spring of 2010 for further information on this project.

To stay in the loop on the next level of sustainability standards that Verdigris Group will be working on for 2010, visit their website at www.verdigrisgroup.com or via the company's Facebook page at http://bit.ly/2oeFQr.

Verdigris Group

Verdigris Group

Verdigris Group is a Chicago-based group of real estate-related entities that have established an international reputation for excellence in Green Building Consulting & LEED Certification Management, Sustainable Enterprise Consulting and Real Estate Brokerage Services.

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