December 11, 2009, Washington, DC – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Headquarters 1 and Headquarters 2 buildings received the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) for Existing Buildings Gold certification plaques on December 4, 2009. Peter Templeton, President of the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), presented the plaques to Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Managing Director of the IMF. Leonardo Academy is the primary consultant supporting IMF’s LEED certification effort and their sustainability initiative.

The IMF Headquarters 1 and 2 buildings represent 20% of all certified buildings under the LEED-EB rating system in the District of Columbia. They are also the first buildings owned by a UN-affiliated organization to earn LEED-EB certification. Leonardo Academy is the LEED consultant for a third of the buildings that have received LEED-EB certification in the District of Columbia.

Michael Arny, President of Leonardo Academy, congratulates the IMF for achieving LEED-EB Gold certification of HQ1 and HQ2 and said, “Leonardo Academy is proud to be the primary consultant supporting the IMF’s LEED certification effort and sustainability initiative, and honored to have played a role in helping the USGBC develop and launch the LEED for Existing Buildings rating system.” Leonardo Academy is pleased to see the LEED-EB framework work so well for implementing sustainability in new and existing buildings.

The LEED-EB certification of the IMF headquarters is part of IMF’s overall sustainability program. Their sustainability initiative was launched in January 2008 and is being led by Frank Harnischfeger, Director of the Technology and General Services Department, and by Mary Beth Kelly, Acting Chief in Charge, Facilities Management Division. The sustainability initiative includes implementation of LEED for the IMF buildings, an annual emissions inventory and ongoing greening of internal operations, such as purchasing and waste management. Leonardo Academy, a charitable non-profit organization, was selected to support the sustainability initiative and the LEED implementation and certification of the IMF buildings.

IMF implemented many green actions to achieve Gold Certification in the HQ1 and HQ2 buildings, including:

• Green cleaning
• Sustainable purchasing
• A comprehensive alternative transportation and commuting program
• Achievement of Energy Star ratings of 79 for HQ2 and 83 for HQ1, which correlates, respectively, to a 29% and 33% reduction in energy use compared to the average building
• Installation of water-efficient fixtures
• Low-mercury lamp procurement

About the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
The IMF is an organization representing 186 countries that works to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world. For more information about the IMF, visit www.imf.org.

About Leonardo Academy
Leonardo Academy is a charitable 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing sustainability and environmental stewardship. Leonardo Academy develops new approaches, methods and metrics for sustainability and also helps companies, organizations, families and individuals enhance sustainability.  Leonardo Academy provides assessments, strategy development, and implementation for sustainability including emissions, LEED and the supply chain. For more information about Leonardo Academy, visit www.leonardoacademy.org.

About LEED for Existing Buildings and the USGBC
The LEED® for Existing Building (LEED-EB) Green Building Rating System™ provides guidance on implementing sustainability for existing buildings and third party verification of the level of sustainability achieved. All the LEED rating systems are voluntary, consensus-based national standards for high-performance, sustainable buildings. The LEED rating systems are a USGBC-sponsored program to encourage building owners to make their buildings sustainable and to maintain and improve sustainable practices over time.  The USGBC is the nation’s leading coalition of corporations, builders, universities, government agencies and nonprofit organizations working together to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work.  For additional information about LEED and the USGBC, visit www.usgbc.org.

About Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI)
GBCI provides third-party project certification and professional credentials recognizing excellence in green building performance and practice. GBCI administers project certification for commercial and institutional buildings and tenant spaces under the USGBC LEED Green Building Rating System™ addressing new construction and ongoing operations. GBCI also manages the professional credentialing programs based upon the LEED Rating Systems including the LEED Green Associate and LEED AP credentials. For more information about GBCI, visit www.gbci.org.

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