Energy Star Awards

EPA recognizes Saint-Gobain with 2012 Energy Star® Sustained Excellence Award for Continued Leadership in Energy Conservation

For Saint-Gobain and its family of companies ENERGY STAR recognition, focus on energy conservation as a competitive business advantage

Valley Forge, PA, March 1, 2012 - Saint-Gobain, the world’s largest manufacturer of building products and a leading producer of innovative materials, has been awarded the ENERGY STAR® Sustained Excellence Award by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the second consecutive year. The award recognizes Saint-Gobain's outstanding leadership in energy management and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Through its U.S. subsidiaries, the Company continues to be the only manufacturer of glass containers or fiber glass insulation ever to receive the award.

“At Saint-Gobain, we believe we can do well by doing good, and reducing energy consumption across all our business efforts is central to that belief,” said John Crowe, President and CEO of Saint-Gobain and its largest North American subsidiary, CertainTeed Corporation. “We are honored ENERGY STAR has recognized Saint-Gobain’s ongoing commitment to building a more energy-efficient future and reducing the environmental impact of our business. For us, energy conservation is a significant competitive advantage that goes beyond good business sense; it drives innovation and most importantly, it improves the environment of the communities in which our employees and customers live.”

This is the fourth consecutive year that Saint-Gobain and its North American subsidiaries have been recognized by the EPA with an ENERGY STAR Award. Saint-Gobain was awarded the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award in 2009 and 2010, and attained the prestigious level of Sustained Excellence in 2011 and 2012. Saint-Gobain’s accomplishments will be recognized at an EPA awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., on March 15, where it will be the sole Sustained Excellence Award winner from Pennsylvania.  

“As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the ENERGY STAR program, EPA is proud to recognize Saint-Gobain with the 2012 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “Saint-Gobain and all our ENERGY STAR award winners are helping Americans find cost-effective ways to save energy in everything we do, which is good for our climate, our health, and our future.”

The EPA is recognizing Saint-Gobain for its leadership in implementing a wide range of process improvements and energy management practices over several years. Since 2008, the company has improved energy intensity by 11.9 percent. In 2011,  Saint-Gobain businesses in North America were able to reduce their energy intensity (the amount of energy used to produce a unit of product) by 3.6 percent - equivalent to the amount of energy needed to make shingles for new roofs on 1.1 million typical U.S. homes or enough fiberglass insulation for more than 163,000 typical U.S. homes. In addition, the energy savings achieved by the Company equate to avoiding more than 116,063 tons of carbon dioxide emissions last year.

 
“I know I speak for all 19,0000 Saint-Gobain employees in North America when I say that receiving this prestigious award inspires all of us to be leaders in the effort to save energy not only through our responsible manufacturing practices, but also through the development of energy-efficient building products”, said Crowe.  “It’s one of the many ways we are trying to help make sustainable lifestyles more attainable for communities throughout the world.”

Acknowledgements of this award include:
Senator Patrick J. Toomey (R-PA):
Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D-PA)
Congressman Pat Meehan (R, PA-07)
Congressman Jim Gerlach (R, PA-06)
Governor Tom Corbett (R-PA)

About Saint-Gobain in North America
Saint-Gobain, the world’s largest building materials company, has its North American headquarters in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.  As the world leader in sustainable habitat, Saint-Gobain is committed to inventing solutions to help professionals and communities around the world build and renovate comfortable, healthy, economical and energy-efficient buildings. The company has more than 265 locations in North America and approximately 19,000 employees. In the United States and Canada, Saint-Gobain reported sales of approximately $7.7 billion in 2011. 

Saint-Gobain’s family of companies in North America includes CertainTeed Corporation, which offers the most comprehensive portfolio of interior and exterior building products in North America, as well as Saint-Gobain Abrasives, Saint-Gobain ADFORS, Vetrotech Saint-Gobain North America, Saint-Gobain Glass, Saint-Gobain Solar, Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics and more.

Saint-Gobain is the proud recipient of the 2012 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the highest level of recognition for outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through energy efficiency.  For information about Saint-Gobain in North America, visit www.saint-gobain-northamerica.com

About Saint-Gobain
Saint-Gobain, the world leader in habitat markets, provides innovative solutions to meet today’s challenges of growth, energy efficiency, and environmental protection. With 2011 sales of $56 billion, Saint-Gobain operates in 64 countries and nearly 190,000 employees. For more information about Saint-Gobain, please visit www.saint-gobain.com.

About ENERGY STAR®
ENERGY STAR was introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through increased energy efficiency. Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, ENERGY STAR offers businesses and consumers energy-efficient solutions to save energy, money and help protect the environment for future generations. About 20,000 organizations are ENERGY STAR partners committed to improving the energy efficiency of products, homes, buildings and businesses. For more information about ENERGY STAR, visit www.energystar.gov or call toll-free 1-888-STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937).


Press Contact:
Dina Silver Pokedoff, APR
Saint-Gobain North America
610-341-7031 (office)
484-919-2103 (mobile)
dina.pokedoff@saint-gobain.com

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EPA recognizes Saint-Gobain with 2011 Energy Star ^® Sustained Excellence Award

 Saint-Gobain, the world leader in sustainable habitat, recognized for outstanding leadership in energy management.

Valley Forge, PA, March 14, 2011 - Saint-Gobain, the world’s largest manufacturer of building products and a leading producer of glass containers and innovative materials, has been awarded the ENERGY STAR ^® Sustained Excellence Award by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The award recognizes the Company’s outstanding leadership in energy management and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.  Through its U.S. subsidiaries, the Company becomes the first and only manufacturer of glass containers or fiber glass insulation ever to receive the award.

’This prestigious award recognizes Saint-Gobain’s commitment to building a more energy-efficient future and reducing the environmental impact of our business at every stage, from product design, through manufacturing, to point-of-sale and end-of-life disposal,” said Gilles Colas, President and CEO of Saint-Gobain Corporation. “We are proud to help lead the drive to save energy not only through responsible manufacturing practices, but also through the development of sustainable, energy-efficient building products and solutions for communities around the world.”

This is the third consecutive year that Saint-Gobain and its North American subsidiaries have been recognized by the EPA with an ENERGY STAR Award.  Saint-Gobain was awarded the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award in 2009 and 2010, but this is the first time the Company has attained the prestigious level of Sustained Excellence.  Saint-Gobain’s accomplishments will be recognized at an EPA awards ceremony in Washington, DC, on April 12.

“Saint-Gobain has earned EPA’s highest ENERGY STAR award - the 2011 Sustained Excellence Award,” said Elizabeth Craig, Acting Director of EPA's Office of Atmospheric Programs.  “Saint-Gobain’s long term leadership and commitment to energy efficiency demonstrates the types of accomplishments that we can all achieve in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting our global environment. We look forward to their continued partnership and leadership.”

The EPA is recognizing Saint-Gobain for its leadership in implementing a wide range of process improvements and energy management practices over several years.  In 2010 Saint-Gobain businesses in North America were able to reduce their energy intensity (the amount of energy used to produce a unit of product) by 3.8 percent -- equivalent to the amount of energy needed to make shingles for new roofs on 1.2 million typical U.S. homes or enough fiber glass insulation for more than 182,000 typical U.S. homes. In addition, the Company reduced its carbon dioxide emissions by more than 131,000 tons last year.

Saint-Gobain also received praise for its employee energy-awareness programs.  Through these efforts, Saint-Gobain employees personally contributed to a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of 11,000 tons, the equivalent of the annual greenhouse gas emissions from over two thousand passenger vehicles.

“Beyond efforts to improve energy efficiency in each of our facilities, we believe every employee can contribute to reducing energy use whether by implementing a major energy-saving project in a plant or simply turning lights out when leaving the office,” said Colas. “The Company, and all employees, will continue to work towards further reducing our carbon footprint for years to come.”

About Saint-Gobain in North America
Saint-Gobain, the world’s largest building products manufacturer, has its North American headquarters in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.  As the world leader in sustainable habitat, Saint-Gobain is committed to inventing solutions to help professionals and communities around the world build and renovate comfortable, healthy, economical and energy efficient buildings. The company has over 265 locations in North America, and approximately 19,000 employees. Saint-Gobain businesses in North America include CertainTeed, a leading North American manufacturer and supplier of exterior and interior building products, Verallia, one of the leading glass container manufacturers in the United States, and Norton, the largest global manufacturer and supplier of performance engineered abrasives.  In the United States and Canada, Saint-Gobain reported sales of approximately $7.3 billion in 2010. For information about Saint-Gobain in North America, visit www.saint-gobain-northamerica.com

About Saint-Gobain
Saint-Gobain, the world leader in habitat markets, provides innovative solutions to meet today’s challenges of growth, energy efficiency, and environmental protection. With 2010 sales of $53.2 billion, Saint-Gobain operates in 64 countries and nearly 190,000 employees. For more information about Saint-Gobain, please visit www.saint-gobain.com.

About ENERGY STAR ^®
ENERGY STAR was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants associated with energy use. Today, the ENERGY STAR label can be found on more than 60 kinds of products as well as new homes and buildings. Last year alone, Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved $18 billion on their utility bills and prevented greenhouse gas equivalent to those of 34 million cars. Products, homes and buildings that have earned the ENERGY STAR prevent emissions by meeting strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the EPA.  For more information, go to www.energystar.gov.

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Saint-Gobain Wins EPA’s ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award for Second Straight Year

VALLEY FORGE, PA, March 2, 2010 (Company News Release) – For the second year in a row, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has named Saint-Gobain as an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for outstanding energy management and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. No other manufacturer of glass containers or fiber glass insulation has ever received the Partner of the Year award.

Through a wide range of energy-awareness programs, process improvements, and energy management practices in 2009, Saint-Gobain businesses in North America were able to reduce their energy intensity by 2.2 percent--equivalent to the amount of energy needed to make nearly 486 million glass bottles or enough fiber glass insulation for more than 100,000 typical U.S. homes. The company’s energy-use reduction equated to a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions released to the atmosphere of more than 70,000 tons last year.

Saint-Gobain’s accomplishments will be recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington, DC, on March 18, 2010.

"We’re very proud of the contributions made by the employees throughout our organization which made this award possible," says Gilles Colas, General Delegate for Saint-Gobain in North America. "As the world leader in building materials, energy efficiency is central to our ‘habitat’ business strategy. This is demonstrated in our strong focus on sustainable development and environmental responsibility in the products we supply and in our manufacturing processes. The Partner of the Year Award underscores our commitment to limiting the environmental impact of our manufacturing processes and protecting the health of the communities where we live and work."

"Saint-Gobain is leading the fight against climate change through greater energy efficiency," says Gina McCarthy, EPA Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation. "Saint-Gobain’s robust energy management program is a model for others and affirms that energy efficiency is our most cost-effective climate strategy."

The 2010 Partner of the Year Awards recognize efforts to use energy efficiently in facility operations and to integrate superior energy management into overall organizational strategy. Award winners are selected from more than 17,000 organizations that participate in the ENERGY STAR program.

About ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR was introduced by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through increased energy efficiency. Today, ENERGY STAR offers businesses and consumers energy-efficient solutions to save energy, money and help protect the environment for future generations. More than 17,000 organizations are ENERGY STAR partners committed to improving the energy efficiency of products, homes, buildings and businesses. For more information about ENERGY STAR, visit www.energystar.gov.

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Saint-Gobain wins 2009 EPA’s ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year award

VALLEY FORGE, PA, March 2, 2009 (Company News Release) –The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (http://www.epa.gov) has named Saint-Gobain as a 2009 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for outstanding energy management and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Saint-Gobain was one of five new winners in the competition’s “energy management” category for industrial companies. No other manufacturer of glass containers or fiber glass insulation has ever received the Partner of the Year award.

Through a wide range of energy-awareness programs, key process improvements, and implementation of superior energy management practices in 2008, Saint-Gobain businesses in North America were able to save enough energy to make nearly 700 million glass bottles or enough fiber glass insulation for more than 160,000 homes. The company’s energy-use reduction equated to a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions released to the atmosphere of nearly 70,000 tons last year.

Saint-Gobain’s accomplishments will be recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington, DC, on March 31st.

“Every Saint-Gobain business and organization made contributions to this significant reduction--and we continue to look for additional ways to reduce our energy use in the future,” says Gilles Colas, General Delegate for Saint-Gobain in North America.

The 2009 Partner of the Year Awards recognize efforts to use energy efficiently in facility operations and to integrate superior energy management into overall organizational strategy. Award winners are selected from more than 12,000 organizations that participate in EPA’s ENERGY STAR program (www.energystar.gov).

Saint-Gobain has been an ENERGY STAR partner since 2005.

Contact: Bill Seiberlich, Saint-Gobain Communications, william.seiberlich@saint-gobain.com