The opening of a new eco-friendly office yesterday was a step toward greener business for Nokia, the world's largest mobile phone manufacturer.

Located in Yizhuang economic-technological development area, the 70,000 sq m Nokia Green Building was certificated at the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design's (LEED) "gold level".

Established and developed by the US Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED is widely considered one of the world's most influential standards for environmental building.

USGBC Vice-President Tom Hicks said the council gave the building the gold-level designation for outstanding environmental concepts and practices.

Serving as Nokia China's headquarters and research and development (R&D) hub, the building includes more than 30 eco-friendly features, such as "breathing glass curtain walls", which respectively reduce water and energy consumption by 37 percent and 20 percent, compared with traditionally designed commercial buildings.

The building also made it possible for Nokia to condense space, bringing many of its operations - its headquarters, R&D department, mobile phone manufacturing base and supply chain partners - within 1 sq km. The company calls the area its "Green Campus".

Such integration would improve communications' and operations' efficiencies, reduce carbon dioxide emissions from transportation, reduce use of packaging, and save business-travel and long-distance shipping expenses.

(China Daily April 22, 2008)