New Slideshare "Green Retrofitting 101" Now Available!

The time has come for businesses around the globe to step up to the plate and join the green market. Otherwise, they will easily be left behind by their competition that makes eco-friendly initiatives part of their bottom line. Indeed green retrofitting can seem quite daunting to companies, but this SlideShare will break down the process into a set of achievable goals.

For example, assessing the energy efficiency of your organization can seem like too big of a task to complete in a reasonable amount of time. But as it is explained in Green Retrofitting 101, it can be segmented into workable categories such as examining lighting, appliances, windows, and insulation. And to take it one step further, a company can study each of these areas down to the types of light bulbs or brands of appliances.

This SlideShare also warns you of potential challenges to prepare for when implementing a large scale change to your business, as well as ways to prepare that can help the retrofit be smooth sailing.

Don’t let greening up your organization become an unattainable goal- download Green Retrofitting 101 and join the eco-friendly market!

Have questions about how Green Retrofitting can work for your business?  Drop us a line and we'd be happy to share our thoughts with you!

RESOURCES: Green Leasing Tools Evolve

We have another resource that we are excited to share with you this month, coming from one of our close colleagues in the sustainability space, Larry Simpson, Executive Vice President of Sustainability Roundtable, Inc. (SR Inc.).  SR Inc. has recently taken great strides in addressing the need to evolve “green leasing” tools from infancy to maturity to achieve greater sustainability.

During their recent webinar, SR Inc. presented research, case studies, and introduced a newly developed “green leasing” toolkit.  The presentation detailed a more sustainable leasing strategy with seven fundamental preferences in decision making:  develop a portfolio-wide optimization strategy; integrate alternative workplace strategies; seek space in transportation adjacent existing buildings; weigh renewal options; weigh long-term lease options; seek buildings with a third-party certified commitment to sustainability; and, collaborate with landlords and tenants to advance greater sustainability.

As for the toolkit components themselves (under draft), they have been designed to be used in the final phase of sustainable corporate real estate selection – the green lease itself.  The toolkit includes three main elements:  The Site Selection Tool outlines the steps to select a landlord with a commitment to sustainability and a site that has already achieved LEED, ENERGY STAR certification, or a willingness to achieve sustainability certification.  The Request for Proposal Tool identifies tenant requirements for sustainability practices and distinguishes which green terms may be structured into the lease documents.  The Letter of Intent Tool highlights a tenant’s key green or sustainable lease issues and includes which green terms may be structured into the final lease document. 

These tools were introduced in draft form pending SR Inc. Member-Client input and also offer sample lease language ranging anywhere from green building certifications to special remedies for violation of green lease provisions.  Overall, the toolkit emphasizes that a successful green lease is the result of a comprehensive negotiation process, in which sustainability practices are deliberately embedded in each phase of the lease lifecycle.

If you would like to download the program presentation and an Executive Summary of “More Sustainable Leased Space” visit www.sustainround.com.

SSC PICK: November Sustainability Resources Round-Up

We like to keep an eye out for the new and interesting, and in our travels we always like to share some of our top picks along the way … we welcome you to do the same, please comment if you know of something that the rest of us might not! 

1. Human Rights Management Insights Video.  Watch and learn about the four steps BSR suggests for a successful human rights management system, in line with the new UN Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights. Also, get answers to some of the frequently asked questions from companies in implementing a human rights program.
2. Paper is Made from What?!  Paper is certainly made from trees (or other fibrous plants), but there is a whole slew of other materials that paper is “made” from.   Take a look at the process in a little more detail and you may be surprised at what you find.
3. Green Scene: Report finds uneven results in green building projects.  A new report on green buildings in Illinois shows owners who pay a premium for eco-friendly features find it’s worth it, but only if managers maintain the building’s systems as intended.  Doug Widener, executive director of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Illinois Chapter, was recently interviewed at the Greenbuild conference and discussed some of the Illinois chapter’s latest study findings.
4. Transparency and the Role of Environmental Product Declarations. This new guidance document helps to educate all stakeholders about Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and helps to clarify the role of the EPD Program Operator.  It covers topics such as market demand for EPDs, ISO 14025 compliant EPD creation process, importance of life cycle analysis in the EPD creation process, why Product Category Rules (PCRs) are needed, necessity for PCR harmonization, role of the EPD Program Operator, and what's next for EPDs … including the management of public data.
5. Report Highlights How Small- and Medium-Sized Companies Can Profit From Sustainability.  The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), and the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA) released a comprehensive international research report underlining the growing emphasis small- and medium-sized enterprises are placing on sustainability as it becomes increasingly crucial to business performance.  The report focuses on nine case studies - three each from the UK, US, and Canada - showing smaller companies who are taking different approaches to the same core issues, all using sustainable practices to their advantage.
6. The Journey of Sustainable Business.  This creative video lesson explores the journey that business is taking towards sustainability from being in non-compliance with the law, to reaching compliance, and then moving beyond compliance and finally, integrating sustainability into the heart of their business strategy.

Interested in learning more about sustainability consulting or grabbing some great resources if you’re feeling a little stuck?  Sustainability is an ever-evolving field, and as sustainability consultants, we’re constantly learning new things.  Instead of keeping all of this knowledge to ourselves, we are always open to sharing!  From our webinars to our white papers and more, we hope you find what you’re looking for!