The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International has been recognized with the 2021 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year Sustained Excellence Award for continued leadership and superior contributions to energy efficiency. BOMA International now has received a total of 14 ENERGY STAR awards, making it the most decorated commercial real estate association.

The Sustained Excellence award is the highest honor bestowed by the ENERGY STAR program. Winners are part of a distinguished group that has made a long-term commitment to fighting climate change and protecting public health through energy efficiency. They are among the nation’s leaders in driving value for the environment, the economy and the American people. The accomplishments of BOMA International and its fellow winners will be recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy at a virtual ceremony later today.

BOMA International received its first ENERGY STAR award in 2007. Thirteen years and 14 awards later, this recognition demonstrates BOMA International’s long-term commitment to energy efficiency, which is integrated into a number of its programs and initiatives, including: § The groundbreaking W2 Challenge, an initiative to promote market transformation by encouraging the widespread adoption of waste and water benchmarking, which successfully concluded last year. The two-year program incentivized nearly 2,000 buildings spanning more than 488 million square feet of space to benchmark waste and water using ENERGY STAR’s Portfolio Manager tool. The highly effective initiative earned BOMA International a place on ASAE’s list of “100 Associations That Will Change the World” in 2020. § The BOMA 360 Performance Program, which includes updated criteria to encourage applicants to achieve the industry’s most up-to-date best practices for energy management and sustainability.

§ Resources and incentives for “greening” a commercial lease, including BOMA’s Green Lease Guide: A Guide for Landlords and Tenants to Collaborate on Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Practices, the third update to the commercial real estate industry’s best practice guide for green commercial leases. Through a generous grant from Yardi, BOMA now provides this guide as a free resource. § A wide range of “green” thought leadership, including sustainability-focused features and high-performance building case studies to inform and promote industry best practices. § Annual conference offerings, including the “Energy Efficiency and Environmental Responsibility ” education track and the Green Pavilion, which highlights solutions and products to support energy-efficient, sustainable properties. BOMA’s Sustainability Scholarship helps connect individuals studying or working in the sustainability field to these offerings by covering a full conference registration and associated costs.

§ A variety of energy management trainings and resources, including BOMA’s Energy Efficiency Program (BEEP®) 2.0, BEEP for Industrial and BEEP Plus; the BOMA Energy Performance Contracting (BEPC) model; and Building Re-Tuning Training. § The Outstanding Building of the Year® (TOBY) competition, which is the commercial real estate industry’s highest honor recognizing quality in buildings and excellence in all facets of building management, including energy management and green policies and procedures.

§ Ongoing cumulative accomplishments in the areas of advocacy, education, research and other industry initiatives, many of which have been supported by grant funding for energy efficiency initiatives from BOMA International Cornerstone Partner Yardi.

“Our mission is to advance a vibrant commercial real estate industry, and providing commercial building owners and managers with the education, resources and tools they need to move forward in the area of sustainability is integral to that,” said BOMA International Chair Shelby Christensen, LEED Green Associate. “BOMA has a long track record of supporting the operation of high-performance buildings, and earning this award once again is a testament to our ongoing commitment. We also want to congratulate the many

member companies who have been honored with 2021 ENERGY STAR awards for their sustainability efforts.”

“ENERGY STAR award-winning partners are showing the world that delivering real climate solutions makes good business sense and promotes job growth,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Many of them have been doing it for years, inspiring all of us who are committed to tackling the climate crisis and leading the way to a clean energy economy.”

Winners are selected from a network of thousands of ENERGY STAR partners. For a complete list of 2021 winners and more information about ENERGY STAR’s awards program, visit energystar.gov/awardwinners.

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