The green-building movement has yet another reason why you should take it very seriously:

In one of the first initiatives under its new sustainable real estate management platform, CB Richard Ellis plans to commit 100 "major" U.S. office buildings it manages into the U.S. Green Building Council's Portfolio Program, where it will pursue LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for each property.

It is the the largest contribution to the program by a commercial real estate services firm so far.

CB Richard Ellis, which manages 615 million square feet of U.S. property and 1.7 billion square feet globally, said in May it would go carbon-neutral as a company and would also promote energy efficiency programs to owners and tenants of space in its managed portfolio.

The firm hasn't finalized the list of buildings it plans to commit to the Green Building Council's Portfolio Program.

The program, initiated by the council as a pilot program in November 2006, is designed to help owners of large portfolios achieve LEED certification. It is slated for an official launch next year.

Doug Gatlin, LEED national accounts director, says CB Richard Ellis is making a "tremendous commitment to green building."