Colliers International Southeast Europe Launches Regional Sustainability Initiative

Athens, Greece, June 04, 2008 --(PR.com)-- Colliers International, the biggest international property consultancy in Southeast Europe, has announced a major commitment to sustainability. The Regional Initiative for Sustainability and the Environment (RISE) has been launched and Regional Sustainability Advisor Erin Inglish has been appointed.

Erin Inglish comments, "In light of the current global climate change concerns, the global real estate and building industries are in prominent positions for making a sizeable reduction in green house gas emissions. An estimated half of the world’s green house gas emissions can be attributed to the building sector, and—driven by the opportunity to make a difference and curb green house gas emissions due to development—Colliers International Southeast Europe aims to become a leading institution on green building in the region."

The Colliers International Southeast Europe Regional Initiative for Sustainability and the Environment (RISE) serves as a platform for the introduction and integration of sustainability into the scope of the company’s daily operations, consulting services, and market leadership.

RISE aims to become the clear leader in green building consulting within the regional real estate services sector by:

- Pioneering regional corporate commitment to sustainability through energy efficiency; water efficiency; paper recycling, re-use, and use-reduction; and waste minimization
- Educating employees on the topics of sustainability and offering thorough training for employees who are interested in becoming green building consultants
- Promoting the amalgamation of regional best practices with sustainable development best practices by developing outreach materials for clients and including features on environmental sustainability in feasibility studies, market reports, and consulting services
- Leading the emerging green building advisory market by collaborating with other regional companies, organizations, and institutions in the formation of Green Building Councils or other similar cooperative establishments

Erin Inglish has a BS in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and is focused on technologies that can be applied to ecological building practices. She has lived and worked internationally on water and sanitation projects in India and Madagascar, and served two years on the board of the Berkeley chapter of Engineers for a Sustainable World. Since childhood, her interest in the “green” movement has become a commitment both personally and professionally.

Colliers International Southeast Europe was named Property Consultant of the Year for the region in 2008 for the third straight year. It has ten offices in six countries: Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Montenegro and Serbia, and performs selected assignments in Slovenia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, FYR of Macedonia, and Cyprus.

Colliers International Southeast Europe currently has 3,000,000 m2 of projects under exclusive representation. It is bigger than all three of its nearest competitors put together, and has averaged growth of 69% in the last five years per annum.

Philip Bay, Regional Director of Colliers International Southeast Europe, concluded, “Colliers is the first international property consultancy in Southeast Europe to make a major commitment to sustainability. We hope by assuming a leadership position in this field to help bring about long-term changes in the region that will benefit everyone who lives here.”

Colliers International is a worldwide affiliation of independently owned and operated companies.

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