Pittsburgh-based PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. has won an inaugural Sustainable Cities Award sponsored jointly by the Urban Land Institute and the Financial Times. The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society was a finalist in the same program.

PNC received the recognition for its commitment to environmentally-friendly buildings. Since 2000, when its corporate headquarters was the first financial building to be LEED certified, the largest green building at the time, PNC has led all U.S. companies in LEED certifications. PNC has incorporated this commitment into a corporate policy that now includes 41 "Green Branch" locations.

"The Sustainable Cities Award confirms our belief that PNC is a global pioneer in the effort to create commercial spaces that are ecologically viable and economically superior to standard construction," said Gary Saulson, director of PNC Corporate Real Estate, who accepted on behalf of the company in London on June 16. PNC was the largest U.S. corporation and the only financial services company selected.

PNC's environmental leadership was affirmed last year by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office with a trademark for the term "Green Branch," which applies to 41 banking offices certified by the United States Green Building Council. PNC's other certified green buildings include the J. Richard Carnall Center in Wilmington, Del. and PNC Firstside Center in Pittsburgh.

Twelve recently completed Green Branch locations are awaiting Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification from the USGBC. PNC has another green office tower, Three PNC Plaza, under construction in Pittsburgh, and another planned for Washington, D.C.

More than half of material used in each Green Branch location is locally manufactured or made from recycled or green materials. Energy usage is reduced nearly 35 percent or more compared to a traditional branch and water usage is reduced by nearly 4,000 gallons a year. Window walls are three times more efficient than code and provide an open, airy space for employees and customers.

In addition to its own green building program, the award jury cited PNC for its effort to influence its supply chain. PNC trains its contractors in green building methods and advocates for the sourcing of more sustainable materials.

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society was honored as a finalist for its Philadelphia Green program which brings together more than 5,000 constituents and 90 community groups to reclaim more than 138 acres of vacant land, planted more than 21,000 trees, and harvested 22,000 pounds of local produce in community gardens throughout Philadelphia.

In addition to increasing community parkland and reducing stormwater runoff, the program serves as a model for cities facing similar problems of vacant land and urban blight.

6/20/2008