ACUITY BRANDS LIGHTING, INC. SEVERANCE AGREEMENT

EXHIBIT 10

ACUITY BRANDS LIGHTING, INC.

SEVERANCE AGREEMENT

THIS AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”), made and entered into as of this day of              , 2008, by and between ACUITY BRANDS LIGHTING, INC., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and              (“Executive”).

WITNESSETH:

WHEREAS, Executive is a key employee of the Company and an integral part of the Company’s management; and

WHEREAS, the Company desires to provide the Executive with certain benefits if the Executive’s employment is terminated under certain circumstances; and

WHEREAS, the Company and the Executive have determined it is in their mutual best interests to enter into this Agreement;

NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereby agree as follows:

Unless earlier terminated as hereinafter provided, this Agreement shall commence on the date hereof and shall be for a rolling, two-year term (the “Term”) and shall be deemed to extend automatically, without further action by either the Company or Executive, each day for an additional day, such that the remaining term of the Agreement shall continue to be two years; provided, however, that either party may, by written notice to the other, cause this Agreement to cease to extend automatically and, upon such notice, the “Term” of this Agreement shall be the two-year period following the date of such notice and this Agreement shall terminate upon the expiration of such Term. This Agreement shall not be considered an employment agreement and in no way guarantees Executive the right to continue in the employment of the Company or its affiliates. Executive’s employment is considered employment at will, subject to Executive’s right to receive payments and benefits upon certain terminations of employment as provided below.

As of the date hereof, to the extent that the Executive and the Company have previously entered into a severance agreement related to the terms and conditions addressed in this Agreement, such agreement is superseded and replaced in its entirety by this Agreement. Unless it is specifically provided otherwise, this Agreement does not supersede any Change in Control agreement between the parties that relates specifically to termination and severance benefits in connection with a Change in Control of the Company.

2.1 “ Board ” or “ Board of Directors. ” The Board of Directors of Acuity Brands, Inc., or its successor.

2.2 “ Cause ”. The involuntary termination of Executive by the Company for the following reasons shall constitute a termination for Cause:

a. If termination shall have been the result of an act or acts by the Executive which have been found in an applicable court of law to constitute a felony (other than traffic-related offenses);

b. If termination shall have been the result of an act or acts by the Executive which are in the good faith judgment of the Company to be in violation of law or of written policies of the Company and which result in material injury to the Company;

c. If termination shall have been the result of an act or acts of dishonesty by the Executive resulting or intended to result directly or indirectly in gain or personal enrichment to the Executive at the expense of the Company; or

d. Upon the continued failure by the Executive substantially to perform the duties reasonably assigned to Executive given Executive’s training and experience (other than any such failure resulting from incapacity due to mental or physical illness not constituting a Disability, as defined herein), after a demand in writing for substantial performance of such duties is delivered by the Company, which demand specifically identifies the manner in which the Company believes that the Executive has not substantially performed his/her duties and such failure results in material injury to the Company.

If Executive’s employment is terminated for any reason, the supervising executive to whom Executive directly reports (the “Supervising Executive”) shall make a determination whether or not the termination was for Cause. If the Supervising Executive determines that the termination was for Cause, then, within thirty (30) days of such termination, the Company shall provide written notice to the Executive indicating that the termination was for Cause and noting that benefits will not be made available to the Executive pursuant to this Agreement.

2.3 “ Company ”. Acuity Brands Lighting, Inc., a Delaware corporation, or any successor to its business and/or assets.

2.4 “ Date of Termination ”. The date specified in the Notice of Termination (which may be immediate) as the date upon which the Executive’s employment with the Company is to cease.

2.5 “ Disability ”. Disability shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Company’s long-term disability plan covering the Executive, or in the absence of such plan, a meaning consistent with Section 22(e)(3) of the Code. The determination of Disability shall be made by the Company in a manner consistent with the requirements of Section 409A.

2.6 “ Notice of Termination ”. A written notice from the Company to the Executive specifying the Date of Termination.

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2.7 “ Parent Company ”. Acuity Brands, Inc., a Delaware corporation, or any successor to its business and/or assets.

2.8 “ Section 409A ”. Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations and rulings thereunder.

2.9 “ Severance Period ”. A period equal to the lesser of (i)               months from the Executive’s Date of Termination or (ii) the number of months (rounded to the nearest month) from the Executive’s Date of Termination until the date he attains age 65; provided, however, that the Severance Period shall in no event be less than six (6) months.

This Agreement provides for the payment of compensation and benefits to Executive in the event his/her employment is involuntarily terminated by the Company without Cause. If Executive is terminated by the Company for Cause, dies, incurs a Disability or voluntarily terminates employment, this Agreement shall terminate, and Executive shall be entitled to no payments of compensation or benefits pursuant to the terms of this Agreement; provided that in such events, Executive will be entitled to whatever benefits are payable pursuant to the terms of any health, life insurance, disability, welfare, retirement, deferred compensation, or other plan or program maintained by the Company.

If, as a result of Executive’s termination of employment, Executive becomes entitled to compensation and benefits under this Agreement and under a Change in Control Agreement, Executive shall be entitled to receive benefits under whichever agreement provides Executive the greater aggregate compensation and benefits (and not under the other agreement) and there shall be no duplication of benefits.

If Executive’s employment is involuntarily terminated by the Company during the term of this Agreement without Cause (and such termination does not arise as a result of Executive’s death or Disability), the Executive shall be entitled to the compensation and benefits described below, provided that Executive, as described in Section 4.7, executes a valid release of claims in such form as may be required by the Company. In the event Executive is terminated without Cause, the Company may, in its discretion and to provide equitable treatment, grant benefits to Executive in addition to those provided below in circumstances where Executive suffers a diminution of projected benefits as a result of Executive’s termination prior to attainment of age 65, including without limitation, additional retirement benefits, provided that any such grant of additional benefits shall be consistent with the requirements of Section 409A and no such grant shall be made which would violate Section 409A and the regulations and rulings thereunder.

If, as a result of Executive’s termination of employment, Executive becomes entitled to compensation and benefits under this Agreement and under a Change in Control Agreement, Executive shall be entitled to receive benefits under whichever agreement provides Executive the greater aggregate compensation and benefits (and not under the other agreement) and there shall be no duplication of benefits.

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4.1 Base Salary . Executive shall continue to receive his/her Base Salary (subject to withholding of all applicable taxes) for the entire Severance Period (as defined in Section 2.9 above), payable in the same manner as it was being paid on his/her Date of Termination.

4.2 Annual Bonus; Accrued Vacation . Executive shall be paid a bonus in an amount equal to the greater of (i) the annual incentive bonus that would be paid or payable to Executive for the fiscal year of the Company during which Executive’s Date of Termination occurs under the Company’s annual incentive plan (“Incentive Plan”), assuming the 100% target level(s) of performance had been met for such fiscal year, multiplied by a fraction (the “Pro Rata Fraction”), the numerator of which is the number of days that have elapsed in the then current fiscal year through Executive’s Date of Termination and the denominator of which is 365, or (ii) the annual incentive bonus that would be paid or payable to Executive for the fiscal year of the Company during which Executive’s Date of Termination occurs under the Incentive Plan based upon the Company’s actual performance for such fiscal year, multiplied by the Pro Rata Fraction. The bonus amount determined pursuant to Section 4.2(i) shall be paid to Executive within thirty (30) days after the Executive’s Date of Termination and any additional amount payable pursuant to Section 4.2(ii) shall be payable at the same time as bonuses are payable to other executives under the Incentive Plan. The bonus amount determined pursuant to this section shall be subject to withholding of all applicable taxes. In the event Executive becomes entitled to a bonus under this Section 4.2 and under the Incentive Plan in connection with a change in control (as defined in the Incentive Plan), Executive shall be entitled to receive whichever bonus amount is greater and Executive shall not receive a duplicate bonus for the same fiscal year (or portion of a fiscal year).

Executive shall be paid an amount equal to Executive’s accrued but unused vacation (determined in accordance with Company policy) as of his/her Date of Termination. The amount shall be paid within thirty (30) days after the Executive’s Date of Termination (subject to withholding of all applicable taxes).

4.3 Stock Options, Restricted Stock And Restricted Stock Units . As of Executive’s Date of Termination, the vesting and exerciseability of all outstanding Stock Options, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units and any other equity awards held by Executive shall be determined in accordance with the agreements governing such awards.

4.4 Health Care and Life Insurance Benefits . The health care (including dental and vision coverage, if applicable) and term life insurance coverage provided to Executive at his/her Date of Termination shall be continued at the same level as for active executives and in the same manner as if his/her employment had not terminated, beginning on the Date of Termination and ending on the last day of the Severance Period. Any additional coverage Executive had at termination, including dependent coverage, will also be continued for such period on the same terms, to the extent permitted by the applicable policies or contracts. Any costs Executive was paying for such coverage at the time of termination shall be paid by Executive by separate check payable to the Company each month in advance or, at Executive’s election, may be deducted from his/her Base Salary payments under Section 4.1. If the terms of the life insurance plan referred to in this Section 4.4 or the laws applicable to such plan do not permit continued participation by

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Executive as required by this section, then the Company will arrange for other coverage satisfactory to Executive at the Company’s expense providing substantially identical benefits or, at the Company’s election, the Company will pay Executive an amount each month during the Severance Period equal to the costs to Executive for the coverage.

If the terms of the health care plan referred to in this Section 4.4 do not permit continued participation by Executive as required by this subsection or if the healthcare benefits to be provided to Executive and his/her dependents pursuant to this Section 4.4 cannot be provided in a manner such that the benefit payments will be tax-free to Executive and his/her dependents, then the Company shall (A) pay to Executive each month during the Severance Period after Executive’s Termination Date an amount equal to the monthly rate for COBRA coverage under the healthcare plan that is then being paid by former active employees for the level of coverage that applies to Executive and his/her dependents, minus the amount active employees are then paying for such coverage, and (B) permit Executive and his/her dependents to elect to participate in the healthcare plan for the Severance Period upon payment of the applicable rate for COBRA coverage during the Severance Period. A benefit provided under this Section 4.4 shall cease if Executive obtains other employment and, as a result of such employment, health care or life insurance benefits are available to Executive. At the end of the Severance Period, Executive shall be entitled to elect to continue health care coverage pursuant to the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, as amended (“COBRA”), for the period required by COBRA.

4.5 Outplacement Services . Executive will be provided for the Severance Period with outplacement services in accordance with the Company’s severance policy through an outplacement firm selected by the Company (unless Executive wishes to choose a different outplacement firm), provided that the Company’s total cost for such services shall not exceed an amount equal to ten percent (10%) of Executive’s Base Salary.

4.6 Other Benefits . Except as expressly provided herein, all other fringe benefits provided to Executive as an active employee of the Company (e.g., 401(k) plan, AD&D, car allowance, club dues, etc.), shall cease on his/her Date of Termination, provided that any conversion or extension rights applicable to such benefits shall be made available to Executive at his/her Date of Termination or when such coverages otherwise cease at the end of the Severance Period. Except as expressly provided herein, for all other plans sponsored by the Company, the Executive’s employment shall be treated as terminated on his/her Date of Termination and Executive’s right to benefits shall be determined under the terms of such plans; provided, however, in no event will Executive be entitled to severance payments or benefits under any other severance plan, policy, program or agreement of the Company, except to the extent Executive is covered by a change in control agreement.

4.7 Release of Claims . To be entitled to any of the compensation and benefits described above in this Section 4, Executive shall sign a release of claims substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A. No payments shall be made under this Section 4 until such release has been properly executed and delivered to the Company and until the expiration of the revocation period, if any, provided under the release. If the release is not properly executed by the Executive and delivered to the Company within the reasonable time periods specified in the release, the Company’s obligations under this Section 4 will terminate.

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4.8 Section 409A . The Company shall have the authority to delay the commencement of payments under this Section 4 to “key employees” of the Company (as determined by the Company in accordance with procedures established by the Company that are consistent with Section 409A) to a date which is six months after the date of Executive’s Termination of Employment (and on such date the payments that would otherwise have been made during such six-month period shall be made) to the extent such delay is required under the provision of Section 409A, provided that the Company and Executive may agree to take into account any transitional rule available under Section 409A.

5.1 Purpose and Reasonableness of Provisions . Executive acknowledges that, prior to and during the Term of this Agreement, the Company and the Parent Company (collectively referred to hereinafter, where applicable, as the “Protected Parties”) have furnished and will furnish to Executive Trade Secrets and Confidential Information, which, if used by Executive on behalf of a competitor of the Protected Parties or other person, could cause substantial detriment to the Protected Parties. Moreover, the parties recognize that Executive, during the course of his/her employment with the Company, has and will develop important relationships with customers and others having valuable business relationships with the Company. In view of the foregoing, Executive acknowledges and agrees that the restrictive covenants contained in this Section 5 are reasonably necessary to protect the Protected Parties’ legitimate business interests, Confidential Information, and good will.

The Company and Executive recognize that Executive may experience periodic material changes in his/her job title and/or the duties, responsibilities or services that he/she is called upon to perform on behalf of the Company. If Executive experiences such a material change, the parties shall, as soon as is practical, enter into a signed, written amendment to the relevant provisions of Exhibit B of this Severance Agreement reflecting such material change. Moreover, in the event of any material change in corporate organization or business on the part of the Direct Competitors or in the Company’s Business as defined in Exhibit B, the parties agree to amend those provisions, as necessary, at the Company’s request,