Energy Use Intensity (EUI) is a key metric used to benchmark buildings. Basically, EUI expresses a building’s energy use as a function of its size. In Portfolio Manager, the EUI is expressed as energy per square foot per year. Generally a lower EUI signifies better energy efficiency, although clearly different building types will always consume […]
Stop selling sustainability!
Every week, I get at least one call from a Sustainability Director or practice leader from somewhere in North America. Each call is the same: SD leader: “Hello, my firm markets how green we are, but we really aren’t what we say…I just can’t seem to get buy-in.” Me: “Can you tell me a little […]
Diving Into Waters of the AIA 2013 Commitment
Guest Post by Amy Seif Hattan, Corporate Sustainability Officer and Wolfgang Werner, Vice President, Thornton Tomasetti In July 2010, our company became the first predominantly structural design firm to join the AIA 2030 Commitment, which supports the goal of carbon-neutral building by 2030. We joined the Commitment because we believe that buildings of the future […]
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Putting the Management Back in Change Step 8: LAST BUT NOT LEAST, CULTURE!
In my series, “Putting the Management Back in Change,” I’ve been looking at what it really takes for companies to successfully institutionalize sustainability and truly be “green firms.” I’ve been using Harvard business guru John Kotter’s 8 step model for organizational change as a framework, but I use it to focus on sustainability initiatives. Previously, […]
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Putting the Management back in Change Part 5: Removing Obstacles; Empowering Others to Act
In my first article in this series, “Putting the Management Back in Change“, I began looking at what it really takes for companies to get past a focus on LEED to successfully institutionalize sustainability and truly be “green firms”. In the series, I use Harvard business guru John Kotter’s 8 step model for organizational change […]
SPI Certification Criteria v3.0 Open for Public Comment Until 10/11/13
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SPI Green Firm Certification V3.0 Evaluation Criteria Now Open For Public Comment August 21, 2013 – The non-profit Sustainable Performance Institute (www.sustainable-performance.org) (SPI) has just released version 3.0 of its Green Firm Certification criteria for public comment. Building industry professionals are invited to provide feedback on the proposed new criteria until midnight […]
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Putting the Management Back in Change Part 1: If It’s Broke, Fix It—NOW!
If you’re reading this, chances are you are a sustainability leader or champion within your company. Chances are, also, that that you still face resistance getting some of your colleagues on-board. In my previous article, “Putting the Management Back in Change”, I posited that companies who are truly committed go beyond individual project successes to […]
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Part 2: Mirror, Mirror, On the Wall, Who’s the Greenest Firm of All?
In this continued article, examining the gap between a company’s green marketing and its’ true capability, I am sharing the results of our “Is Your Firm Green?” survey. My previous posting looked at leadership and project delivery – and noted a shocking discrepancy between how companies portray themselves, and feedback about quantifiable capabilities. Today, I’m […]
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Part 1: Mirror, Mirror, On The Wall, Who’s the Greenest Firm of All?
My last posting spoke about the difference between a company’s green marketing and their true capability to deliver consistent, high quality sustainability at an organizational level. Since then, we published a survey, asking green professionals to honestly reflect on their perception of their company’s true capability. The results have been very interesting.One of the most […]
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