EPA Recognizes Saint-Gobain With 2012 ENERGY STAR® Sustained Excellence Award for Continued Leadership in Energy Conservation

VALLEY FORGE, Pa., March 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Saint-Gobain, the world's largest manufacturer of building products and a leading producer of innovative materials, has been awarded the ENERGY STAR® Sustained Excellence Award by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the second consecutive year. The award recognizes Saint-Gobain's outstanding leadership in energy management and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Through its U.S. subsidiaries, the Company continues to be the only manufacturer of glass containers or fiberglass insulation ever to receive the award.

"At Saint-Gobain, we believe we can do well by doing good, and reducing energy consumption across all our business efforts is central to that belief," said John Crowe, President and CEO of Saint-Gobain and its largest North American subsidiary, CertainTeed Corporation. "We are honored ENERGY STAR has recognized Saint-Gobain's ongoing commitment to building a more energy-efficient future and reducing the environmental impact of our business. For us, energy conservation is a significant competitive advantage that goes beyond good business sense; it drives innovation and most importantly, it improves the environment of the communities in which our employees and customers live."

This is the fourth consecutive year that Saint-Gobain and its North American subsidiaries have been recognized by the EPA with an ENERGY STAR Award. Saint-Gobain was awarded the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award in 2009 and 2010, and attained the prestigious level of Sustained Excellence in 2011 and 2012. Saint-Gobain's accomplishments will be recognized at an EPA awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., on March 15, where it will be the sole Sustained Excellence Award winner from Pennsylvania.  

"As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the ENERGY STAR program, EPA is proud to recognize Saint-Gobain with the 2012 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award," said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "Saint-Gobain and all our ENERGY STAR award winners are helping Americans find cost-effective ways to save energy in everything we do, which is good for our climate, our health and our future."

The EPA is recognizing Saint-Gobain for its leadership in implementing a wide range of process improvements and energy management practices over several years. Since 2008, the company has improved energy intensity by 11.9 percent. In 2011,  Saint-Gobain businesses in North America were able to reduce their energy intensity (the amount of energy used to produce a unit of product) by 3.6 percent – equivalent to the amount of energy needed to make shingles for new roofs on 1.1 million typical U.S. homes or enough fiberglass insulation for more than 163,000 typical U.S. homes. In addition, the energy savings achieved by the Company equate to avoiding more than 116,063 tons of carbon dioxide emissions last year. 

"I know I speak for all 19,000 Saint-Gobain employees in North America when I say that receiving this prestigious award inspires all of us to be leaders in the effort to save energy not only through our responsible manufacturing practices, but also through the development of energy-efficient building products," said Crowe.  "It's one of the many ways we are trying to help make sustainable lifestyles more attainable for communities throughout the world."

About Saint-Gobain in North America
Saint-Gobain, the world's largest building materials company, has its North American headquarters in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.  As the world leader in sustainable habitat, Saint-Gobain is committed to inventing solutions to help professionals and communities around the world build and renovate comfortable, healthy, economical and energy-efficient buildings. The company has more than 265 locations in North America and approximately 19,000 employees. In the United States and Canada, Saint-Gobain reported sales of approximately $7.7 billion in 2011.  

Saint-Gobain's family of companies in North America includes CertainTeed Corporation, which offers the most comprehensive portfolio of interior and exterior building products in North America, as well as Saint-Gobain Abrasives, Saint-Gobain ADFORS, Vetrotech Saint-Gobain North America, Saint-Gobain Glass, Saint-Gobain Solar, Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics and more.

Saint-Gobain is the proud recipient of the 2012 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the highest level of recognition for outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through energy efficiency.  For information about Saint-Gobain in North America, visit www.saint-gobain-northamerica.com

About Saint-Gobain

Saint-Gobain, the world leader in habitat markets, provides innovative solutions to meet today's challenges of growth, energy efficiency, and environmental protection. With 2011 sales of $56 billion, Saint-Gobain operates in 64 countries and has nearly 190,000 employees. For more information about Saint-Gobain, please visit www.saint-gobain.com.

About ENERGY STAR®

ENERGY STAR was introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through increased energy efficiency. Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, ENERGY STAR offers businesses and consumers energy-efficient solutions to save energy, money and help protect the environment for future generations. About 20,000 organizations are ENERGY STAR partners committed to improving the energy efficiency of products, homes, buildings and businesses. For more information about ENERGY STAR, visit www.energystar.gov or call toll-free 1-888-STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937).

SOURCE Saint-Gobain

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