Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
The University of Richmond’s Eco-Corridor, an 18-acre restoration, was an old road, previously ignored, a “place of possibility,” said Rob Andrejewski, the university’s director of sustainability. Opened in 2020, the project includes an extensive stream restoration, the planting of 25,000 grasses, shrubs, and trees, invasive species removal, new trails, plus picnic tables, a learning lab, […]
Did you know buildings account for a whopping 37% of all carbon emissions in the world? In order to combat climate change, countries have set a global goal to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, and in order to help save money and the planet, corporations and other organizations have set sustainability targets of their own. […]
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. As climate risk grows, so does the urgency around sustainability. 2023 was a year of record-breaking climate events, from sustained warming above 1.5°C to billion-dollar climate loss events. It was also a year marked […]
The New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) and the New York Power Authority (NYPA) announced the completed installation of energy-efficient LED lights at New York City Police Department (NYPD) facilities. The nearly $17 million lighting replacements and retrofits will save the city government about $750,000 in annual energy and maintenance costs and will reduce […]
The U.S. Department of Education revealed the 2024 Green Ribbon Schools, District Sustainability Awardees, and Postsecondary Sustainability Awardees. The announcement came as the White House hosted the first-ever Summit for Sustainable and Healthy K-12 School Buildings and Grounds. Across the country, 41 schools, 10 districts, three postsecondary institutions, and one early learning center are being […]
As life outside gets greener, spring is also a good reminder of the importance of green practices in facilities. HVAC systems use 40-50% of a commercial building’s energy, translating to high energy usage and significant greenhouse gas emissions. However, this also presents ample opportunity to find efficiencies. Balancing occupant comfort with sustainability is not always […]
Facilities Management Advisor’s “Under Construction” series highlights some of the latest, most interesting facility project announcements every month. A Greener JFK Airport In light of Earth Month, April had a bunch of clean energy project announcements. John F. Kennedy International Airport—which topped our inaugural installment of this series with a multibillion-dollar facelift in 2022—takes the […]
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced that it has delivered on Congress’ mandate to cut emissions from new or newly renovated federal buildings through the Clean Energy for New Federal Buildings and Major Renovations of Federal Buildings Rule. By meeting the requirements of the rule, federal buildings will reduce pollution, improve air quality, create good-paying jobs, […]
Unless Elon Musk stops messing around with Twitter and gets us to Mars, Earth is our only home for the foreseeable future. That means we’ve got to take good care of the planet and conserve its finite natural resources. It’s also why sustainability is a hot topic all year long and why facilities managers are […]
Since 1970, Earth Day has provided an annual reminder of our responsibility to protect the planet. Though corporate pledges and sustainability standards are more common than ever, many businesses still view going green as a daunting, costly effort. Google Cloud’s latest Sustainability Survey reflects this contradiction. Though 96% of surveyed organizations say they have at […]