We continue to implement the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) methodology prescribed by the U.S. Green Building Council, of which we are members. We choose green building materials wherever possible—low-VOC paint and products made of recycled content, which are further recyclable, such as ceiling tiles, vinyl composition floor tile, systems furniture, carpet and fabrics and more. By sourcing, designing and building with sustainable products, we’re minimizing waste and helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Going international with LEED-designed construction

In 2010, two of our facilities outside the U.S. were designed for LEED certification. In Bangalore, we applied for LEED Gold certification for a new 127,000-square-foot tower intended to accommodate increasing numbers of employees—the first time we’ve sought certification for a built-from-the-ground-up building outside the United States.

In Beijing, our expansion of the 31st floor of the Qualcomm Kerry Centre earned the LEED for Commercial Interiors Silver certification based on such features as highly efficient lighting and HVAC systems, alternative transportation options, recycled content and regional materials, low-emitting materials, building reuse and more.

In San Diego, we own five office sites adjacent to Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve, a protected terrestrial ecosystem of high biodiversity value.

The preserve encompasses some 4,000 acres of both Peñasquitos and Lopez Canyons. It comprises more than 14 habitat types that support a broad range of plant and animal species, including more than 500 plant species, more than 175 types of birds and great variety of reptiles, amphibians and mammals. Many of these species are rare or endangered and are protected within the preserve. The preserve is jointly owned and administered by the City and County of San Diego. We work closely with both to ensure that our impact on the preserve is minimal.

In 2010, two of our facilities outside the U.S. were designed for LEED certification.

In 2010, for the second consecutive year, we adopted a portion of the preserve as part of California’s Coastal Cleanup Day. More than 85 of our employees, along with their families and friends, scoured six miles, collecting 1,600 pounds of trash and 75 pounds of recyclables.

We operate six corporate cafés for the convenience of our employees. All San Diego cafés are Green Restaurant Association Certified Green Restaurants™. To achieve certification, our food services team completed a rigorous 18-step process that resulted in improved water efficiency, a comprehensive program for recycling and use of recycled materials, use of chlorine-free paper products, elimination of polystyrene foam containers and a commitment to sourcing local, sustainable and organic foods. In 2010, we took additional steps to meet Green Restaurant Certificate 4.0 standards, including:

• Starting a Community Supported Agriculture Program, which currently has 400 members.
• Increasing our purchases of local, organic and sustainable products.
• Switching to 100 percent toxin-free cleaning chemicals.
• Ensuring that 100 percent of all oil and grease—more than 1,000 gallons in 2010—is converted to biofuel.

Events planning with a touch of green

Our Events Department manages more than 400 events per year using LEED- and Green Restaurant Association-Certified venues throughout our campuses. Our events staff applies the practice of “reduce, reuse and recycle” when developing décor and signage. For example, we use local florists to supply our flower arrangements. After events, we either reuse flowers for another event or donate them to Blooms for the Heart—an organization that recycles flowers and plants and delivers them to San Diego-area hospitals, senior homes, hospice centers and other places where people can enjoy them.

Our events team also partners with our in-house printer and audio-visual department to design signage that can be used for multiple events or to develop electronic signage, reducing the number of printed signs. Moving into 2011, our Events Department will measure the sustainability of their events utilizing Meeting Professional International’s Sustainability Tool developed by Intercontinental Hotel Groups.

Cleaning greener

To provide a safe, healthy work environment for more than 10,000 employees at our San Diego facilities, our Building Services team follows ManageMen’s (OS1) standardized cleaning system and adheres to a number of green cleaning practices, including:

• Green Seal Certified chemicals for all cleaning products.
• Use of a neutral pH germicide approved by the Environmental Protection Agency.
• Limited use of ammonia, bleach, peroxide and other toxic chemicals.
• Use of an ergonomic, four-level filter vacuum system proven to reduce dust particles to virtually no detectable emission.
• Replacement of traditional string mops with flat microfiber mops and two-sided buckets, reducing water usage for restroom cleaning by 75 percent.
• Just-in-time inventory system based on Lean manufacturing processes to reduce the amount of items disposed.
• Use of chemical cleaning concentrates that has reduced waste sent to landfills by 97 percent.
• Use of neutral pH (@ +-7) carpet-cleaning chemicals listed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration as having zero toxic hazard, zero flammable hazard, zero reactive hazard and zero corrosive hazard.