Chain Reaction
The U.S. Green Building Council is launching a "volume certification" program that allows national chains to submit plans for a prototype store, office, bank or restauranct for LEED certification. If the design, construction and building management plan meet LEED standards, the council will waive the rigorous process of evaluating each new store as it is built. Instead, the council will conduct random audits to ensure that its standards are being met as certified prototypes go up in city after city, state after state.
A four-year pilot project that tested the volume concept drew tremendous interest. Nearly 40 companies and organizations took part, including Bank of America Corp, Best Buy Co, Cushman and Wakefield, Starbucks Corp. and Target Corp. Participants have certified 355 projects so far and have more than 1,000 in the pipeline, says Doug Gatlin, a vice president at the Washington D.C.-based Green Building Council.For every project, one key ingredient for success has been developing an "orientation neutral" design. PNC Bank executives, for example, wanted each of their branches to have an atrium-like entrance with glass walls. But an entrance might face north, south, east or west, depending on the shape of each lot, traffic flow and available parking.
Such features, along with glazed glass, solar power and high-efficiency heating and air conditioning, helped PNC earn LEED certification for its branch prototype, while maintaining a sleek look.
Granting LEED certification to lots of buildings based on a single set of plans has its risks. For instance, many companies rack up LEED points by requiring that their construction crews aggressively recycle materials and minimuze waste. Yet in parts of the country, especially in some Mid-western cities, that's not part of the construction culture. Also, much of a building's carbon footprint comes from how it is used. So, chains must commit to training their employees in every new building on the best practices for maximizing energy efficiency. But developers who have been through LEED certifications for individual projects say the benefits of group certifications should outweigh the hassles.
Exerpted from the Wall Street Journal 11/29/10 by Stephanie Simon
Ford Uses Recycled Jeans in 2010 Focus
Ford's 2010 Focus will use cottons from recycled clothing in areas such as carpet backing and sound-absorption materials for interior quietness. One of the clothing materials used in the next-generation Focus is post-consumer cotton that comes from recycled blue jeans. The amount of post-consumer cotton from blue jeans used in a vehicle comes out to roughly two pairs of average-sized American jeans, based on pounds of cotton used per yard of denim and the yards of denim used to make a pair of jeans.
Over the past several years, Ford has introduced non-metal recycled and bio-based materials, including soy foam seat cushions, recycled resins for underbody systems, recycled yarns on seat covers and natural fiber plastic for interior components, into its vehicles.
Environmental Leader 12/1/10Tato Nano Cars
I love cars, but I am very aware of their shortcomings. Perhaps nothing bothers me as much as parking lots. They are in many ways just wasted space, and the bigger the store the bigger the parking log. We've sort of grown into though, and parking lots make great meeting places for all sorts of events...though I believe we could do away with a lot of them.
I've seen video of the traffic jams in India and it sends shivers up my spine. Imagine what it will be like 20 years from now? Some studies say that by 2030, 25 percent of Mumbai will be covered by cars and parking lots. That is a lot of space devoted to just parking cars and in Mumbai, space is at a premium. The Tata Tower, however, acts as a vertical parking garage, providing ample space (and charging for electric vehicles) to 4,050 Tata Nanos, the world's cheapest car. The towers would lift the Nanos up into slots along the tower, and I am assuming some sort of ticket system or code would retrieve the car for you.
Not only would they hold Tata Nanos, but Tata employees as well. Starting to see a pattern here? The Tata Tower would have up to 930 residences for employees. The towers wouldn't just be self-sustaining, but actually provide power to charge the cars. It all looks good on paper, but is such a project feasible? It might have to be, as Mumbai is the second most populated city on the planet. They are going to need somewhere to park all those cars, or come up with a better publice transportation system.
by Christopher DeMorro gas2.org
Setting Sustainability Goals: 10 Golden Rules
I was recently impressed by hearing goals described by the phrase "dreams with a deadline." There tends to be a relatively 'yes' or 'no' answer to the question; "has the goal been achieved?" With companies striving to do better by deploying the right practices without any absolute end point, sustainability goals should arguably be seen more as intentions with targets, as opposed to boxes that need to be ticked. The best sustainability reports deliver significant internal management benefits. They provide a valuable tool for corporate leadership to negotiate realistic ambitions with its managers to secure enhancements across all areas of the operation. Goals are a central part of business management. They provide a compass to managers who need clear, benchmarkable targets that can steer them in an agreed direction.
1. Reach for motivating and aspirational goals that will benefit the business and expand opportunities for the company.
2.Senior management must be committed to the goals. Ideally, it should be the CEO who is seen as the principle trailblazer.
3. Sustainability goals must be integral to the business, and should not require separate work, because the right sustainability strategy will enhance the efficiency of the company's existing operation.
4. Always make sure the targets are credible, which means striking a balance between what can be practically achieved while setting the bar at a level where real improvements will accrue.
5. Prioritize sustainability goals towards areas where you can make the most meaningful impact and generate the biggest results.
6. Publishing sustainability goals must be much more than an expression of hope and desire. No goals should be included without there being a clear roadmap as to how they can be achieved in reality.
7. Company employees can provide the richest source of ideas as to what sustainability goals should be set- they are among the first to recognize opportunities.
8. Establish goals that have real traction with customers and consumers. A company's drive for sustainability must neither be seen purely as an internal management tool or as an external public relations opportunity.
9. Meaningful goals cannot be set in isolation from the world at large. Collaboration with external 'watchdog' organizations, NGOs and partners is necessary to advance a sustainability agenda and communicate with the public in a credible and authentic manner.
10. While sustainability goals must be designed to benefit the business, it is important that they include elements that position the company as a good corporate citizen. Innovation is key to driving new sustainable products which can also enable the solving of environmental or social sustainability issues. This should be factored into the thinking when developing new goals. Excerpted from Jonathan Wootliff, Reputation Partners
Best wishes for a Happy, Healthy and Green Holiday Season ~ from all of us at Impact Energy Solutions, Inc.
