HSBC Opens Green North American Headquarters

HSBC has opened its new earth-friendly North American headquarters in the Chicago area. Located in the suburb of Mettawa, the financial services giant engineered the building and even its operating model to help reduce its impact on the environment.

The new headquarters, combining five HSBC facilities in Chicagoland, will be home to approximately 3,100 employees. According to the company, the building was constructed to minimize resource consumption and environmental impact. Employees are taking extensive recycling and energy saving measures to reduce the company's "carbon footprint." The US Green Building Council's LEED Green Building Rating System was used as a framework for measuring sustainability.

HSBC has also implemented an expanded flexible work strategy called HSBC@Work that allows employees to work from home on a regular basis. Not only does this help with the work-life balance, but also helps reduce carbon emissions from commuting. The company has also set aside preferred parking spots for fuel-efficient/hybrid vehicles in support of employees' environmental efforts.