Tag: Climate Change

Biden Admin Seeks Input on National Definition for Zero-Emissions Buildings

What constitutes a zero-emissions building? The Biden administration is working to create a national, standardized, and verifiable definition for all stakeholders. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has developed Part 1 of a draft national definition for zero-emissions buildings and is now seeking feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders through […]

ENERGY STAR Lighting: A Decades-Long Success Story Ending on a Bright Note

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR program is celebrating over 25 years of achievements in lighting efficiency. The celebration comes as the ENERGY STAR label for most lighting is poised to sunset after a long, successful run and the recently enacted federal sales ban on incandescent bulbs. Since the ENERGY STAR label for […]

State and City Leaders Highlight Sustainable Facilities

The October 12 CityAge: Unleashing Clean Energy Systems digital event featured discussions on facility energy efficiency, decarbonizing buildings, and deploying clean energy infrastructure. It also highlighted sustainability projects at major facilities in New York and New Jersey, as well as Kansas City, Missouri, and Phoenix, Arizona, which can serve as examples for facilities managers to […]

GSA Announces $2 Billion for Low-Carbon Construction Projects at Federal Facilities

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced a $2 billion investment for more than 150 construction projects that use cleaner construction materials, known as “low-embodied carbon” (LEC) materials, as part of the Biden administration’s Investing in America agenda. The funding will support projects at federal facilities across 39 states, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of […]

college campus

Report Ranks Top 50 Green Colleges Amid Rising Student Demand

Is your school green enough to attract eco-conscious students? The Princeton Review released the 2024 edition of its annual Guide to Green Colleges—an online resource the company has published since 2010 for college applicants wanting to attend schools that foster a culture of environmental responsibility. Based primarily on the company’s surveys of administrators at 683 colleges […]

Extreme Weather Events Likely to Accelerate Corporate Sustainability

More than six in 10 organizations globally (62%) say recent wildfires, floods, and storms during 2023 will have a material impact on their environmental initiatives, according to the fifth edition of Honeywell’s Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI.) Another 45% admit the extreme heat will have or has already had a material effect on their near-term plans. Compiled […]

Under Construction: Top Facility Projects of October 2023

Facilities Management Advisor’s “Under Construction” series highlights some of the latest, most interesting facility project announcements every month. Modern Facility for Historic Cemetery October is a spooky season all about Halloween, so of course this month’s list had to include at least one project to commemorate the holiday. Although the historic Oakland Cemetery, Atlanta’s oldest […]

Better Buildings Initiative Reaches $18.5 Billion in Energy Savings

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has published the “2023 Better Buildings Initiative Progress Report,” which summarizes the achievements of the DOE’s Better Buildings public- and private-sector partners since the initiative’s inception in 2011. The report shows that partnering entities, including more than 900 businesses, state and local governments, utilities, housing authorities, and other organizations, […]

Tech Execs Shift Focus to Enlist Buildings in Tackling Climate Change

Editor’s note: FM Perspectives are industry op-eds. The views expressed are the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect those of Facilities Management Advisor. Many former technology executives, including the authors of this article, have left tech companies like Microsoft and Google to helm legacy industries ripe for modernization, including the buildings industry. The digital and […]

Climate Pledge Arena Achieves Zero Carbon Certification

Climate Pledge Arena, home of the NHL’s Seattle Kraken and the WNBA’s Seattle Storm, has become the first arena in the world to achieve the International Living Future Institute’s (ILFI) Zero Carbon Certification. “Our Zero Carbon Certification recognizes highly energy-efficient buildings that are designed and operated to fully account for their carbon emissions impacts,” explained ILFI CEO […]