When it comes to protecting the planet, it's hard to beat PNC: This leading financial services firm operates more green buildings than any other company on earth. Founded 155 years ago, PNC remains refreshingly forward-looking; it was the first in its industry to receive a LEED certification and has now earned the honor a whopping 42 times. Just as impressive is the fact that PNC either builds or converts all of its bank branches according to green principles—no small undertaking.
Looking inside one of its best-known structures helps to illustrate the depth of that achievement. Located along the banks of Pittsburgh's Monongahela River, PNC's 650,000-square-foot tech-nology hub, the PNC Firstside Center, is the largest corporate green building in the country.
Once a blighted former railway terminal, the sunshine-filled space now boasts 11-foot windows (made from recycled materials) and beautiful raised floors (they encourage air circulation and reduce the need for air-conditioning).
A 1.5-acre park across the street gives staffers a place to recharge—and should their cars need a boost, eight hybrid vehicle chargers are available. No wonder employees express greater satisfaction with their workplace than staffers at traditional worksites.
Many of PNC's buildings conserve natural gas and electricity—reducing building costs up to 45%—and at least half of all their construction materials are recycled. When the firm rebuilds, it salvages building materials. In some cases, the company reuses as much as 90% of the old building instead of sending the trash to landfills. PNC's green bank branches are a good investment in every respect: Not only do they cost at least $100,000 less than traditional models, but they're faster to build, too.
When General Motors pulled the plug on its electric car a few years
ago, environmental activists were disheartened—but it would be unwise
to count GM out of the green race just yet. The environmental
principles the firm adopted in 1991 have since slashed its greenhouse
gas emissions by 82% ...
Harvesting rainwater to flush low-flow toilets, using wind and ice to
keep workers cool, operating emergency generators on renewable
biodiesel fuel: It's all in a day's work for Honda's 13 green
factories, all of which meet the highest industry standards for waste
disposal and water and energy use. Measures ...
With more than one million hybrids sold worldwide since 1997, Toyota
has certainly put a dent in global warming. Due to the popularity of
its fuel-efficient, smog-reducing Prius and similar vehicles, there are
7.9 billion fewer pounds of carbon dioxide emissions in the United
States. The car company has ...
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