Asia PR News

GENEVA, March 29 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ –

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development announced today that
it is forming an alliance of leading global companies to determine how
buildings can be designed and constructed so that they use no energy from
external power grids, are carbon neutral, and can be built and operated at fair
market values.

The industry effort is led by United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX), the
world’s largest supplier of capital goods including elevators, cooling/heating
and on-site power systems to the commercial building industry, and Lafarge
Group (NYSE: LR), a world leader in construction materials including cement and
roofing. The WBCSD and the two lead companies are in discussions with many
other leading global companies that are expected to join the project and to be
announced shortly.

Buildings today account for 40 percent of global energy consumption. The
effort announced today for transforming the way buildings are conceived,
constructed, operated and decommissioned has ambitious targets: By 2050 new
buildings will consume zero net energy from external power supplies and produce
zero net carbon dioxide emissions while being economically viable to construct
and operate. Constructing buildings that use no net energy from power grids
will require a combination of onsite power generation and
ultra-efficient building materials and equipment.

The project will comprise three phases, each producing reports that
together will form a roadmap to transform the building industry. The first
report will document existing green building successes and setbacks, the second
will identify the full range of present and future opportunities, and the third
will present a unified industry strategy for realizing those opportunities by
2050, specifically in China, India, Brazil, the U.S. and E.U. Each report will
take one year to complete and involve hearings and conferences with building
contractors and suppliers, sustainability experts, government representatives,
regulators, utility officials and others.

"Green" buildings already are erected in various parts of the world but
current cost structure prevents widespread adoption by general contractors.
The project will build on these examples, aligning costs and benefits in the
building equation and by working in close collaboration with architects,
builders, suppliers and building owners to promote a more sustainable approach
to construction. Existing standards for energy efficiency in buildings will be
the starting point for the industry-led alliance.

"Lafarge has been leading efforts in energy efficiency and sustainable
construction in the building materials sector for a number of years, not only
by reducing greenhouse gas emissions during the production process but also by
developing materials that contribute to making buildings more energy
efficient," said Bertrand Collomb, Chairman of Lafarge. "In this context,
Lafarge has been collaborating with leading architects to promote sustainable
construction as illustrated by our partnership with French Architect Jacques
Ferrier, which led to the development of the ‘Hypergreen’ concept: This
multi-use tower building, designed for the world’s mega-cities, is highly
energy self-sufficient thanks to the use of the latest construction methods and
technologies."

"Buildings of tomorrow should be self-sufficient in energy and have carbon
neutral emissions," said Jan van Dokkum, President of UTC Power, a United
Technologies company. "This can be done by incorporating renewable energy
sources into a building’s design, optimizing energy efficiency of support
systems, and taking advantage of geographic and culturally acceptable building
practices. Additionally, this aim is enhanced by using the ‘cradle to cradle’
concept of producing, using and later re-using building materials. This vision
of energy and carbon neutral designs is a necessary evolution we need to
embrace to achieve sustainability for buildings."

Bjorn Stigson, WBCSD President, noted, "Being smarter and more efficient
about how we use energy in buildings will help us conserve energy, reduce
greenhouse gas emissions and address climate change. We believe this initiative
can provide extremely cost-effective solutions. It will also set the course for
self-sufficient and environmentally sound buildings in which future generations
will live, work and be entertained. Our partners are industry leaders with
technological expertise and presence that no single existing organization or
government could provide on its own."

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development, based in Geneva, is
a coalition of some 190 international companies united by a shared commitment
to sustainable development via the three pillars of economic growth, ecological
balance and social progress. Its members are drawn from more than 35 countries
and 20 major industrial sectors.

United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Conn., USA, is a Dow Jones
Industrial company that reported $43 billion in 2005 revenues. UTC employs
approximately 220,000 people worldwide and provides high technology products
and services to the building and aerospace industries. It has been recognized
as Fortune magazine’s "Most Admired" aerospace company for six consecutive
years based on criteria including social responsibility and innovation. The
company is listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes and was one of 20
U.S.-based companies to be listed on the 2006 "100 Global Most Sustainable
Corporations in the World."

Lafarge, headquartered in Paris, is the world leader in building materials
and holds top-ranking positions in all four of its businesses: Cement,
Aggregates & Concrete, Roofing and Gypsum. The company employs 80,000 people in
75 countries and posted sales of 16 billion euros in 2005. Lafarge has been
committed to sustainable development for many years believing that long-term
value is best created when considering the interests of the community and
environment in which it operates. This strategy reflects the Group’s core
values and combines industrial know-how, performance, value creation, respect
for employees and local cultures, environmental protection and the conservation
of natural resources and energy. It is the only construction materials company
to be listed on the 2006 "100 Global Most Sustainable Corporations in the
World."

Media enquiries: Josephine Chennell
WBCSD
+41 (79) 346 52 03

Paul Jackson
United Technologies Corp.
1 860-728-7912

Louisa Pearce Smith
Lafarge Group
331 4434 1818

SOURCE: WBCSD

CONTACT: Josephine Chennell of WBCSD +41 (79) 346 52 03
Paul Jackson of United Technologies Corp. +1-860-728-7912
Louisa Pearce Smith of Lafarge Group +331 4434 1818

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