Tag: net zero

Back to Basics: Defining Net Zero for Facilities

Back to Basics is an article series that highlights important, but possibly overlooked, information facilities management professionals should know. Most facilities professionals have heard the term “net zero buildings” before but perhaps don’t know exactly what it means or why they should convert their facilities to net zero. Commercial, educational, industrial, and nonprofit facilities should […]

Newark Airport Terminal Earns LEED Gold Certification for Sustainability

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced that Newark Liberty International Airport’s new Terminal A has received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The sustainability achievement aligns with the port authority’s agency-wide goal to reach net-zero carbon emissions. Following a $2.7 billion […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Study: Transition to Net-Zero Buildings Could Be a Major Job Creator

More than 2 million new jobs and up to 141 million additional job years can be created in Europe and the United States by adopting clean energy technologies in new and retrofitted buildings, according to a joint study from Schneider Electric and Boston University. The open-access paper, “Building a Green Future: Examining the Job Creation Potential of Electricity, Heating, […]

DOE Offering $400M for States to Update Building Energy Codes

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has released program guidance and opened applications for $400 million in formula funding to states and territories for adopting and implementing building energy codes that reduce utility bills, increase efficiency, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and make buildings more resilient to climate disasters. “A transition to a clean energy economy […]

Colgate-Palmolive Inks Solar Deal to Meet 100% of U.S. Power Needs

Colgate-Palmolive has signed a 20-year virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) for a solar energy project outside of Waco, Texas. With start-up anticipated in 2025, the 209-megawatt (MW) Markum Solar Farm is expected to produce the equivalent of 100% of the company’s U.S.-based operational electricity needs. This news follows the company’s announcement in 2022, when it shared that […]

An Actionable Plan to Achieve Net Zero

How do we achieve net zero? This is a key question that facilities managers and other stakeholders are increasingly being required to ask themselves. The world is evolving, and a central piece in this evolution is the shift toward net-zero carbon emissions. This is a marked shift from 10 years ago, when the focus was […]

Western Continues Shift from Fossil Fuels with Landscaping Equipment, Electric Vehicles

Caring for campus grounds has become a quieter experience and more comfortable for landscape services employees at Western University in Ontario, Canada, as the university works to eliminate gas-powered units on campus. Facilities Management has recently added two electric John Deere Gator utility vehicles (UTVs) to its landscape services fleet, replacing a carbon-intensive equipment truck […]