The report includes the results of a survey of more than 240 corporate real estate executives and an evaluation of 15 corporate success stories. Among the report's data and survey's findings are:

• Buildings account for at least 40% of total energy utilization and commercial buildings represent nearly half of that amount. In 2003, buildings were linked to the emission of more than 2.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, while transportation ranked at only around 1.8 million metric tons and industry at about 1.6 million metric tons.

• Relative to other issues impacting real estate over the next 10 years, 83% of executives ranked sustainability as important or most important and 94% ranked energy efficiency as important or most important. More than two-thirds of executives expected to increase their budgets devoted to sustainability and energy efficiency over the next five years.

• Less than half of corporations have energy policies or consumption targets in place. Only 40% of those surveyed said their corporations are making use of quantitative targets, and only 42% said a company-wide energy policy is in place. Less than a third said that a senior-level executive is in charge of energy management. Less than a third said their companies devote resources to identifying and implementing low-cost or no-cost energy efficiency measures.

Bowles said the report found that the average energy cost in office buildings is $2 per sf and that the range of cost was $1.50 to $2.50 per sf. "So there's a dollar per sf that is right now a flip of the coin," he said. "For every sf of building, there [at least] 50 cents per sf per year [in potential savings] that's untapped."

As for the effect of energy efficiency on the worth of a building, Bowles said there haven't been enough LEED certified buildings trading hands to make a solid determination. He estimated that there is a 5% to 8% premium in value associated with energy efficient and LEED-certified buildings.