USAA Real Estate Company Accepts BOMA’s 7-Point Green Challenge
September 20, 2007 - San Antonio, TX
USAA Real Estate Company, an ENERGY STAR award winner, announced today that it has accepted the Building Owners and Managers Association’s (BOMA) 7-Point Green Challenge to reduce energy consumption by 30% across its portfolios by 2012.
"We accept the BOMA challenge and encourage others to do the same. For years, USAA Real Estate Company has elevated energy management and sustainability as top priorities for our portfolio as we know it not only drives lower costs for our properties and tenants but also provides for better performing assets financially and environmentally. We have supported BOMA and the EPA Energy Star Program and look forward to meeting the BOMA 7-Point Green Challenge," says T. Patrick Duncan, USAA Real Estate Company's president and chief executive officer.
USAA Real Estate Company, already committed to the reduction of energy consumption and responsible environmental practice, is a five-year ENERGY STAR® award winner, the first real estate company to be so recognized. USAA is also a leading member of the United States Building Council’s (USGBC) portfolio program actively pursuing Leadership in Excellence in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) certification of the USAA office portfolio nationally.
“BOMA’s 7-Point Challenge is designed to help drive market transformation and to voluntarily address energy and environmental issues. USAA Real Estate Company has been a leader in the areas of operational excellence and world class tenant service and we believe this challenge is really about both,” says Brenna Walraven, executive managing director of national property management and one of the firm’s leaders in energy and sustainability practices. “Improving energy efficiency and sustainability of real estate is ultimately a statement about leadership and quality. We believe increasingly, tenants have and will continue to require better, more efficient sustainable buildings and our goal is to not just accept BOMA’s challenge, but also help drive others to understand the value.”
“Working closely with industry leaders like USAA Real Estate Company will help us reach the energy efficiency goals put forward in the 7-Point Challenge,” said BOMA International president and chief operating officer, Henry Chamberlain, CAE, APR. “As a five-time ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year, USAA Real Estate Company has a track record of making energy savings and environmental stewardship a priority. Working together, we can transform the market.”
USAA Real Estate Company has more than $3 billion of assets under management and provides co-investment, acquisition, and development services for corporate and institutional investors. The USAA portfolio consists of office, industrial, retail and hotel properties as well as investments in real estate operating companies with an annual volume of transactions in excess of $1 billion.