Wallingford, Conn. —Bristol-Myers Squibb Company was recognized by the Green Building Initiative (GBI) for assessing the energy-efficient and high-performance sustainability practices at its Wallingford research facility using the new module of the Green Globes rating system—Green Globes for Continual Improvement of Existing Buildings (Green Globes-CIEB). The Wallingford facility is the first building in the U.S. to achieve a rating using the new Green Globes module.

As part of the GBI’s week-long Earth Day celebration, Bristol-Myers Squibb executives were presented with a plaque recognizing the Company’s achievement of two Green Globes during a ceremony at the facility. The building and Company were recognized for, among other things, having a comprehensive energy management plan which included on-site renewable energy, and high efficiency features such as lighting and boilers, having in place emissions, effluents and pollution controls, providing a healthy indoor environment, and having good management practices designed to reduce the building’s environmental impact.

“Projects such as Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Wallingford research facility show the building community at large how to successfully benchmark and improve the environmental performance of existing buildings,” said Ward Hubbell, president of the GBI. “While it’s encouraging that more buildings are being designed for sustainability, the fact remains that there are millions of buildings currently in use that have the potential to reduce their energy and water consumption, improve their indoor environments and generally perform better. Green Globes for Continual Improvement of Existing Buildings offers a practical and affordable way for building owners to identify potential areas for improvement, prioritize upgrades and track their progress long-term—thus improving our overall built environment.”

Green Globes-CIEB was adapted from its highly successful Canadian counterpart, which represents more than nine years of research and refinement by a range of prominent international organizations and experts. Among other things, it forms the basis of the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) Canada’s national energy and environmental program, Go Green Plus, which is used by the federal government for its portfolio of more than 300 buildings, and is integral to the Ontario Power Authority’s program for energy retrofits.

The one million square-foot Bristol-Myers Squibb pharmaceutical research and development facility covers 180 acres and houses a state-of-the-art research laboratory. The multi-wing, five-story structure was built in 1986 and is comprised almost equally of laboratory and office space staffed by approximately 1,250 employees.

“Bristol-Myers Squibb is committed to being a good steward of the environment and implementing sustainable business practices at our facilities. This award reflects that commitment, and the Green Globes tool has allowed us to establish a benchmark of our achievements to date and provides practical suggestions to further enhance our performance over time,” said Sue Voigt, Vice President, Corporate Environment, Health and Safety.

To achieve a Green Globes rating, the design team at the S/L/A/M Collaborative, which supported Bristol-Myers Squibb with its application, used the Green Globes tool to assess the performance of the building and identify areas for improvement. Later, a GBI-authorized third-party building science expert was engaged to review the construction documents, conduct an on-site inspection and confirm the original rating.

While the Bristol-Myers Squibb facility is the first building in the U.S. recognized for its use of Green Globes-CIEB, it joins a growing number of organizations that have achieved Green Globes ratings for their new construction projects nationwide. Others include: the Clinton Library in Little Rock, Ark.; Blakely Hall in Issaquah, Wash.; the Pfizer Inc. Clinical Research Unit in New Haven, Conn.; the NewPage Corporate Headquarters in Dayton, Ohio; the RenewAire, LLC corporate headquarters in Madison, Wis.; and the Materials Recovery Facility in Summit County, Colo.

GBI Celebrates Earth Day from Coast to Coast
The dedication ceremony at Bristol-Myers Squibb was part of a week-long, coast-to-coast celebration of Earth Day by the not-for-profit GBI, which is an education and marketing initiative dedicated to accelerating the adoption of green building practices.

For more information, visit www.thegbi.org.