Renovated Building Is First in Columbus to Earn U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED-CI Gold Certification

COLUMBUS, GA – (December 3) – Aflac, today announced that the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has awarded its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-Commercial Interior (LEED) Gold certification to Aflac for the renovation of the company’s CSC office building in Columbus, GA. The 133,000 square foot CSC structure, which houses the company’s Sales and Marketing departments, is the first in Columbus to earn LEED certification.

The U.S. Green Building Council developed LEED-CI is an independent, third-party rating system for sustainable improvements to existing buildings. Buildings are rated on five key categories: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy efficiency and atmospheric quality, use of materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovations in upgrades.

To achieve LEED-CI Gold certification, Aflac required that more than half of construction waste be diverted from landfills, more than 80 percent of the total wood-based building materials come from FSC-certified forests, and that project materials (45 percent) were procured from within 500 miles of the project site to limit emissions related to transporting construction supplies. Lighting power density in the building has been reduced by more than 30 percent while all equipment and appliances within the renovated structure are Energy Star-rated.

“Having a LEED Gold-certified building marks the latest milestone in Aflac’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and ensuring that our employees have an environmentally friendly, healthy and productive place to work.” Aflac Vice President of Facilities and Chair of Aflac’s employee Green Committee, Alfred Blackmar said. “We will continue to prioritize the three Rs of the environment: recycling, reusing resources and reducing our overall footprint within our community.”

The company hopes that this Gold certification will serve as a role model for other businesses in the region. In addition to this LEED Gold certification, Aflac also owns the only three EPA Energy Star-rated buildings in Columbus.

ABOUT AFLAC

When a policyholder gets sick or hurt, Aflac pays cash benefits fast. For 55 years, Aflac insurance policies have given policyholders the opportunity to focus on recovery, not financial stress. In the United States, Aflac is the number one provider of guaranteed-renewable insurance. In Japan, Aflac is the number one insurance company in terms of individual insurance policies in force. Aflac insurance products provide protection to more than 50 million people worldwide. For four consecutive years, Aflac has been recognized by Ethisphere magazine as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies and by Forbes magazine as one of America's Best-Managed Companies in the Insurance category. In 2010, Fortune magazine recognized Aflac as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America for the twelfth consecutive year and also included Aflac on its list of Most Admired Companies for the ninth time. Aflac Incorporated is a Fortune 500 company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AFL. To find out more about Aflac, visit aflac.com.

Media Contacts:
Laura Kane
Aflac Incorporated
706.596.3493
lkane@aflac.com

Jon A. Sullivan
Aflac Incorporated
706.763.4813
jsullivan@aflac.com

Analyst and Investment Contact:
Robin Y. Wilkey
Aflac Incorporated
1.800.235.2667, Option 3; Fax: 706.324.6330
rwilkey@aflac.com