MassMutual Awarded Prestigious LEED® Green Building Certification

SPRINGFIELD, Mass., April 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) announced today that it has been awarded LEED® Silver certification for Existing Buildings at its corporate office in Springfield, MA. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Rating System was designed by the U.S. Green Building Council to encourage and facilitate the development of more sustainable buildings. LEED is the nation's preeminent program for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.

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"Achieving the LEED Silver certification is in the best interest of our company, employees and policyholders, and it is something that we are very proud of," said Roger Crandall, Chairman, President and CEO of MassMutual. "This certification is a strong validation of MassMutual's commitment to the environment, ensuring that we continue to operate efficiently while reducing our carbon footprint and keeping the Earth beautiful for generations to come."

MassMutual earned the award for its main building at company headquarters at 1295 State St. in Springfield, Mass. The project was a two-year effort to ensure the building, which was built in 1927 with multiple additions over the years, is operating in a highly efficient and environmentally-friendly manner.

MassMutual achieved LEED certification for improvements to its energy usage, lighting, and water usage as well as incorporating a variety of other sustainable strategies. By using fewer natural resources, LEED certified buildings save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community.

"Building operations are nearly 40 percent of the solution to the global climate change challenge," said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council. "While climate change is a global problem, innovative companies like MassMutual are addressing it through local solutions."

LEED certification of MassMutual's headquarters was based on the adoption of a number of sustainable building operations, processes and system upgrades. Including:

• Green site and building exterior management.
• Promoting public transportation, car pooling and telecommuting.
• Providing bicycle storage and shower/changing facilities.
• Optimizing energy performance by reducing use of electricity, gas and oil through utilization of solar energy and conservation measures.
• Reducing water usage through utilization of high-efficient/low-flow plumbing fixtures throughout the facility.
• Waste management and recycling programs.
• Green cleaning and low environmental impact pest management.

"These improvements will not only help us to protect the environment, but it will also lower operating costs, increase efficiencies and provide a healthier work environment for our employees," noted Mr. Crandall.

About MassMutual

Founded in 1851, MassMutual is a leading mutual life insurance company that is run for the benefit of its members and participating policyholders.  The company has a long history of financial strength and strong performance, and although dividends are not guaranteed, MassMutual has paid dividends to eligible participating policyholders every year since the 1860s. With whole life insurance as its foundation, MassMutual provides products to help meet the financial needs of clients, such as life insurance, disability income insurance, long term care insurance, retirement/401(k) plan services, and annuities. In addition, the company's strong and growing network of financial professionals helps clients make good financial decisions for the long-term.

MassMutual Financial Group is a marketing name for Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) and its affiliated companies and sales representatives.  MassMutual is headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts and its major affiliates include: Babson Capital Management LLC; Baring Asset Management Limited; Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers LLC; The First Mercantile Trust Company; MassMutual International LLC; MML Investors Services, LLC, member FINRA and SIPC; OppenheimerFunds, Inc.; and The MassMutual Trust Company, FSB.

For more information, visit massmutual.com.

U.S. Green Building Council

The Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Green Building Council is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings.

With a community comprising 80 local affiliates, more than 18,000 member companies and organizations, and more than 155,000 LEED Professional Credential holders, USGBC is the driving force of an industry that is projected to contribute $554 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product from 2009-2013. USGBC leads an unlikely diverse constituency of builders and environmentalists, corporations and nonprofit organizations, elected officials and concerned citizens, and teachers and students.

Buildings in the United States are responsible for 39% of CO2 emissions, 40% of energy consumption, 13% water consumption and 15% of GDP per year, making green building a source of significant economic and environmental opportunity. Greater building efficiency can meet 85% of future U.S. demand for energy, and a national commitment to green building has the potential to generate 2.5 million American jobs.

LEED

The U.S. Green Building Council's LEED green building certification system is the foremost program for the design, construction and operation of green buildings. Over 32,000 projects are currently participating in the commercial and institutional LEED rating systems, comprising over 9.6 billion square feet of construction space in all 50 states and 114 countries.

By using less energy, LEED-certified buildings save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community.

USGBC was co-founded by current President and CEO Rick Fedrizzi, who spent 25 years as a Fortune 500 executive. Under his 15-year leadership, the organization has become the preeminent green building, membership, policy, standards, influential, education and research organization in the nation.

For more information, visit www.usgbc.org.

SOURCE MassMutual