After setting an aggressive goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, DPR Construction (DPR), one of the nation’s leading technical builders focused on highly complex and sustainable projects, yesterday accepted the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Climate Leadership Award in the category of Excellence in Greenhouse Gas Management (Goal Achievement). Eight years ago, DPR set a goal to reduce overall employee emissions by 25 percent by 2015 and is proud to announce it has met – and exceeded – its objective, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by more than 30 percent.

“I am proud to recognize DPR Construction and our 16 other Climate Leadership Award winners for their actions to reduce the harmful carbon pollution that’s fueling climate change,” said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. “Our winners are providing the leadership, commitment and solutions needed to cut greenhouse gas emissions and meet the challenge of a changing climate head on.”

DPR has implemented a combination of solutions to reduce its carbon footprint, including improving building efficiency in its offices and providing employee education. Efficiency features range from simple energy audits to replaced lighting systems and appliances to complex net-zero energy designed offices. To date, three of DPR’s offices are net-zero energy buildings and have been recognized as “living laboratories” for the latest in sustainable design.

In 2007, DPR also began documenting greenhouse gas emissions and encouraging reductions through an educational campaign and targeted reduction strategies, such as switching to more efficient fleet vehicles. One critical tool was an annual carbon footprint survey, which every DPR employee was asked to complete. The survey raised awareness throughout the company and collected crucial data about individual carbon footprints.

“The Climate Leadership Award for Greenhouse Gas Management is a tremendous recognition of our commitment to environment responsibility,” said Ted van der Linden, sustainability leader for DPR Construction. “Reducing our carbon footprint is one way we have been able to measurably demonstrate our environmental record, ‘walking the walk’ of sustainability.”

The fourth annual Climate Leadership Awards recognize exemplary corporate, organizational and individual leadership in reducing carbon pollution, addressing climate change in five categories. Award recipients represent a wide array of industries including finance, manufacturing, retail, technology, higher education and local government. Awardees have demonstrated leadership in managing and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in internal operations and throughout the supply chain, as well as integrating climate resilience into their operating strategies. The category in which DPR was awarded recognizes organizations that publicly report and verify organization-wide greenhouse gas inventories and achieve aggressive, publicly-stated greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals.

About DPR Construction

DPR Construction is a forward-thinking national general contractor and construction manager specializing in technically complex and sustainable projects for the advanced technology/mission critical, life sciences, healthcare, higher education and corporate office markets. Founded in 1990, DPR is a privately held, employee-owned company that has grown to a multi-billion-dollar organization with offices around the country, making it one of the largest general contractors in the nation and a great story of entrepreneurial success. It ranked on FORTUNE’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list for five consecutive years.