Our sustainability efforts include green design and construction along with ongoing efficiency measures. The new parking garage in Chattanooga is being built to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) certification. More than 4,500 tons of concrete and asphalt were removed from the site and recycled. In New York City, our office space was recently remodeled with the intention of earning LEED designation in the Commercial Interiors category, and the massive Worcester CitySquare project, expected to begin construction this year, has been designed and will be built with the expectation of LEED certification.

At our Colonial Life campus in Columbia, we recently replaced an aging black rubber roof with an environmentally friendly white PVC membrane. The white material will lower the roof temperature, which means lower air conditioning loads, lower utility costs and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

In the United Kingdom, the Carbon Trust conducted a full carbon footprint audit of Unum UK in 2007, and a follow-up audit was made this past September to document progress. A detailed collaborative action plan was created, and major recommendations included adoption of a written Energy Usage Policy.

In addition to reducing the size of their carbon footprint, Unum UK actively recycles paper and plastic and participates in initiatives that will decrease transatlantic air travel between the United States and the U.K.

Unum has state-of-the-art meeting rooms with live video and audio links at all our major campuses. Use of these “i-rooms” enhances communication, but another key benefit is the reduction in travel, which keeps employees safer, while also cutting down on traffic and pollution.