KPMG Reaches Living Green Program Milestone With 25th LEED-Certified Office in U.S.
KPMG committed to ensuring all major office renovations and new office constructions meet LEED energy and environmental standards
NEW YORK, Oct. 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- KPMG LLP, the audit, tax and advisory firm, today announced that its Short Hills, New Jersey office attained Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) – the 25th KPMG office to do so. KPMG is committed to ensuring all of its major office renovations and new office construction meet LEED standards as part of its Living Green program.
"KPMG lives out its commitment to environmental sustainability through our Living Green program and this includes ensuring our office spaces are designed, constructed, and equipped in an environmentally-friendly way," said Kathy Hopinkah Hannan, national managing partner for Diversity and Corporate Responsibility at KPMG. "The certification of our Short Hills office means that the majority of our offices in the top markets where we do business are now LEED certified, which equates to nearly 50 percent of our employees being based in LEED-certified offices throughout the country. It's very appropriate that we are making this announcement during Energy Awareness Month."
LEED evaluates a project's design, construction, and operation as it relates to positive environmental impact, occupant health, comfort and productivity throughout the project's lifecycle. The LEED certification process starts during the design phase of the office and is a collaborative effort between KPMG's Real Estate team, architects and office personnel. Certification is typically received after approximately one to two years of occupying the new office space.
The selection of furniture systems for the 50,000 square feet Short Hills office space includes carpet and ceiling tiles consisting of a minimum of 10 percent recycled content, and all of the workstations, private office furniture and task seating being GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified.
Other "green" features of the LEED-certified Short Hills office include:
- Occupancy sensors that control over 75 percent of the office's lighting, minimizing unnecessary electrical usage;
- High indoor air quality achieved by the selection of low-VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) adhesives, sealants, paint, coatings, flooring, and wood products with no added urea formaldehyde; and
- 97 percent of all new equipment and appliances being EnergyStar rated, reducing energy consumption.
"The LEED certification of our office space in Short Hills validates the firms' collective commitment to environmental sustainability," said Kelly Watson, KPMG's New Jersey office managing partner. "In addition to being environmentally-friendly, the natural light and openness of our workspace creates a more collaborative environment for our employees."
Since moving from their previous facility in 2012, the new LEED-certified Short Hills office has witnessed the following reductions per FTE (full-time equivalent) in 2013:
- 32 percent reduction in electricity per FTE;
- 26 percent reduction in total electricity;
- 42 percent reduction in water per FTE;
- 37 percent reduction in total water consumption;
- 22 percent reduction in carbon emissions per FTE; and
- 15 percent reduction in total carbon emissions for the office.
"KPMG continues to display tremendous green building leadership with the LEED certification of its latest office space," said Rick Fedrizzi, founding chair and CEO, USGBC. "With each new LEED certified building, we are one step closer to our vision of a sustainable built environment within a generation."
In addition to Short Hills, other KPMG offices that have recently received LEED-certification include Detroit, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Tampa. By 2015, nearly 40 percent of all KPMG U.S. offices are expected to be LEED-certified.
About KPMG LLP
KPMG LLP, the audit, tax and advisory firm (www.kpmg.com/us), is the U.S. member firm of KPMG International Cooperative ("KPMG International"). KPMG International's member firms have 155,000 professionals, including more than 8,600 partners, in 155 countries.
Contact:
Kaitlin Breslin
KPMG LLP
201-307-7067
[email protected]
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SOURCE KPMG LLP
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