Seventy percent of U.S. adults agree that environmental certification of a company's facility by a third-party organization such as the U.S. Green Building Council would enhance their opinion of the business, according to a nationwide survey commissioned by Sealed Air's Diversey business.

Additional key findings include:
• 69 percent of adults agree that they would prefer to work in a facility that has been certified by a third-party environmental organization;
• 64 percent of adults agree that they would prefer to patronize a business whose facility is certified by a third-party environmental organization;
• 49 percent of adults feel better about doing business with a company whose facility is certified by a third-party environmental organization; and
• 48 percent of U.S. adults indicated that third-party environmental certification of a facility improves their image of a company.

The survey findings were announced in conjunction with results of the fourth annual Green Building Market Impact Report, a global survey of green building market trends and the impacts of LEED on land use, water, energy and raw materials.

The survey also reveals differences by gender, region and age:
• Women are more likely than men to say they would prefer to work in a facility that meets third-party environmental standards;
• U.S. adults in the West are more likely than those in other regions of the U.S. to say third-party green certifications make them feel better about doing business with or working for a company;
• Younger adults, ages 18-54, are more likely than those ages 55 and older to agree that third-party environmental building certifications enhance their opinion of a business; and
• Younger adults, ages 18-54, are more likely than those ages 55 and older to agree that they would prefer to work in a facility that meets third-party environmental certification standards.

"This research suggests that green building certifications are increasingly providing a competitive advantage for businesses," added Mike Jenkins, vice president sector sales for the Diversey Americas business. "A critical part of these certifications is ongoing cleaning and maintenance of commercial facilities. Maintaining commercial spaces using sustainable products and processes enhances these facilities' overall sustainability profile."