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This category covers a broad range of aspects including maintenance, renovations, landscaping, lighting, water usage, heating/AC, appliances and equipment, LEED certification, Information Technology, utility rebates.
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For FedEx "Everything is Connected"August 25, 2010At FedEx, we recognize that our impact is greater than the services we provide. We are committed to being a great place to work, a thoughtful steward of the environment and a caring citizen in the communities where we live and work. We are passionate about sustainably connecting people and places and improving the quality of life around the world. This is how FedEx® introduces itself on the company’s website. This week’s blog began with a conversation I had with Bill Brown, Senior Counsel for FedEx. I met Bill at the 2010 annual meeting of the Conference of Western Attorneys General. I introduced myself as the author of GreenWorksGov and asked him if FedEx had made many changes in their business processes to lower their carbon footprint. I learned that FedEx has taken many significant measures in the last decade to transform its system of services and delivery to fulfill its commitment to be a “thoughtful steward of the environment.” I’m pleased to write about FedEx this week because they are a global force for sustainability around the world, and GreenWorksGov readers hail from nearly every continent.
Bill referred me to Mitch Jackson, Staff Vice-President for Environmental Affairs and Sustainability. Mitch leads FedEx’s sustainability initiatives, which touch on every aspect of the company’s operations. You can read up on their activities by clicking here. FedEx’s website is all you’d expect from a global company plus more. FedEx strives for transparency and its website offers up easy-to-find information on the company’s demonstrated commitment to sustainable business practices. One reason that the information is so easy to find is because sustainability is integral to the mission, values, and performance standards adhered to by FedEx and its employees.
I think it’s important to pay attention to FedEx for at least three reasons. First, they are a company with which most of us do some business; their green practices help us to achieve our goals with respect to factoring the carbon footprint of the materials, packaging, and transportation elements of our operations. FedEx started its sustainability program back in the early part of this decade, now called EarthSmart, a commitment to minimize the company’s impact on the environment. Today, for example, half of FedEx's pickup and delivery vehicles used in the London, U.K. area are electric or alternative fuel vehicles. And in general, FedEx has the industry’s largest fleet of hybrid electric package-delivery trucks. They’re still expanding that fleet, but not just by buying new hybrids. They’ve also learned how to expand the useful lives of some conventional diesel trucks by retrofitting them with hybrid electric drive trains. FedEx collaborated with the Environmental Defense Fund to help engineer the first hybrid commercial trucks in 2005. From the first 18 trucks in the fleet, FedEx now has 329 and there are 1,416 more throughout the US. Company-wide, FedEx has realized a 14% savings in fuel efficiency since 2005.
Second, we can borrow some of their ideas and apply them in our greening practices and educational institution outreach efforts. FedEx has targeted the paper services it provides and increased the percent of Forest Stewardship Council certified paper that the company buys. FedEx has a vision of their potential and their corporate responsibility to lead their industry and beyond into sustainability. On the global front, FedEx is collaborating with the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy on a study due out later this year on the success and risk factors for nations who strive to achieve both environmental sustainability and economic sustainability and the links between them.
Last, we can draw inspiration to reach into our communities by learning what FedEx is doing in service to others and in support of environmental protection. For example, FedEx joined the efforts to protect sea turtle nests and eggs from potential impacts of the Gulf oil spill by donating resources to transport hundreds of nests containing thousands of eggs to Florida’s Atlantic Coast for temporary protection during the hatching season. I think it serves to underscore the commitment to green internal operations when a business supports and encourages its employees to engage in “external” actions to protect the environment and our natural resources. “Everything is Connected”, is an apt title for FedEx’s 2009 annual Global Citizenship Update.
I recommend spending some time learning more about FedEx and studying its successful example. The takeaway for me is that sustainability is elevated to the mission of the company, aligned with its business goals across the enterprise, and viewed as a necessary condition for the company’s success. The message is clear and consistent. FedEx has earned its industry leader ranking. I think the sea turtles are in very good hands.
For its efforts and accomplishments, FedEx is the recipient of numerous awards in 2009 and 2010:
Dow Jones Sustainability Index North America
Boston College-Reputation Institute 2009 CSR Index Top 10 Ranking
Newsweek Greenest Companies Ranking Top 100
EPA Green Power Partnership Printer’s List No. 1 Ranking
Green Grades Office Supply Report Card’s Top Ranking
Flight Safety Foundation’s Honeywell Bendix Trophy for Aviation Safety
2009 W3 Awards’ Gold Award in the business category for its Citizenship Blog at blog.fedex.com
FORTUNE Magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For”
And, so far in 2010
The Lindbergh Foundation Corporate Award for Balance 2010 (joining past years’ winners: Patagonia, Google, The Jacoby Group)
The International Charter’s Committed to the Environment Award 2010 (the first transportation company to receive this award)
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From "New Deal" You Can Spell "LEED" in New Mexico AG's OfficeJuly 14, 2010Take one 70 year old building. Not just any building, but the first building constructed with New Deal money in New Mexico and named one of the most endangered places in the state by the New Mexico Heritage Preservation Alliance. Now add Governor Bill Richardson, an early proponent of LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for state buildings. Next, add then Attorney General Patricia Madrid who wanted for her office and staff a LEED building to meet her health and environmental standards. The story of the Villagra building’s renovation between 2004 and 2006, and how it came to be the first LEED Gold building in New Mexico is a tale of leadership, teamwork, shared vision and commitment to excellence. It’s also a textbook example of a successful green project.
The Building
The Villagra building in Santa Fe was scheduled for a conventional renovation when the decision was made to take additional measures for the interior that would meet LEED certification standards. Work was already well underway for the new 42,305 square feet addition to the historic building’s existing 18,180 square feet. As someone who worked on the LEED certification process for existing buildings, I am in awe of the complexity of undertaking the completion of a large, new building in conjunction with seeking LEED certification for an architecturally significant building that adjoins it.
The Team
The team that was assembled to meet this challenge came from the Attorney General’s Office, the state’s Property Control Division, the General Services Administration, the Historic Preservation Division, consulting architects, engineers, and the general contractor. Valerie Walsh, a LEED accredited professional, was put in charge of managing and coordinating the LEED process, the design and construction team, and the LEED documentation from demolition through occupancy and certification.
How They Did It
In 2004, the LEED rating system for commercial interiors was adopted by the US Green Building Council; in 2006, the Villagra building was only the 8th Gold certified project in the country.
The LEED rating system is comprised of five main aspects of building practices. The building satisfied criteria under the Sustainable Sites category by designating preferred parking for low-emitting and fuel efficient vehicles and providing bicycle racks and showers to encourage alternative transportation. The site was well-placed for mass transit and its urban setting attracted nearby residents to walk to work and to numerous nearby services. The new heating and cooling system (HVAC) won LEED Energy and Atmosphere points for optimizing energy performance. Along with the new HVAC system, energy recovery systems, insulation, and high-tech window film, the energy performance is 31% better than standard. Wind power credits were purchased to offset carbon emissions (CO2) from electricity use for two years. Lighting efficiencies were achieved by installing occupant sensor controls that switch lights off in unoccupied areas and using an auto-dimming feature when natural daylight is adequate. The historic single-pane glass, wood-frame windows from 1934 were kept and adapted with high-tech film to reflect heat in summer and retain heat in winter.
The outdoor landscape reduced water usage by 79% through a high efficiency irrigation system combined with native plants. The old, indoor plumbing was removed, and new restrooms were located where the two buildings connect. Recycling was instituted for cardboard, plastic, metal, glass, and all paper. 82% of demolition and construction waste was diverted from the landfill. The team put an emphasis on re-using fixtures, choosing recycled content building materials, purchasing Forest Stewardship Council certified wood furniture and doors, and purchasing local and regional materials to reduce environmental transportation impacts. These were some of the strategies that fulfilled LEED expectations for Materials and Resources.
Indoor Environmental Quality concerns were met with products and materials that were non-toxic and low VOC (volatile organic compound). A green housekeeping program won a point for Innovation and became standard policy for all state buildings as a result of this LEED project, as well as the green pest management program which uses alternatives to toxic chemicals and insecticides.
Challenges and Innovations
There were many challenges along the way, to be sure. Recycling, for example, was not a standard practice apart from paper in state government buildings. The Attorney General agreed to cover the costs of the added service. The success of the effort and demonstrated benefits of recycling more than just paper served as a model for other state buildings to follow. There were historic preservation concerns with the original plans for a large air handling unit on the roof that were resolved with a creative re-design of the system to fit smaller units that would not detract from the visual aesthetics of the building. Also, LEED building projects carry some additional investment costs while holding out the promise of reduced operating expenses. Michael Bodelson, former State Architect for New Mexico wrote, ”Obviously, there were some fixed costs for design and documentation efforts. However, the vast majority of building improvements attributed to LEED, pay dividends every day in utility savings and occupant performance. In the final analysis, costs for LEED were almost entirely absorbed into the contextual fabric of the project.”
The project was completed in March 2006 and received LEED Gold certification the following October. It is the first building in the state to receive LEED Gold. The building and its companion addition were renamed the Paul Bardacke Attorney General Complex. In 2007, the renovation was recognized with the Historic Preservation Award for Architectural Heritage.
And Now, a Word from the Team
Valerie Walsh commented on the success of the project, “Our dedicated and solution-oriented team rose to the occasion and produced a healthy, high performance building from an historic building once slated for demolition while preserving its original character.”
Stuart Bluestone, who was Chief Deputy Attorney General for former Attorney General Patricia Madrid during the construction project, said, "With AG Madrid's approval and full support, we knew we wanted a building we could be proud of as being as environmentally sound and energy efficient as resources would allow. But since we're only lawyers and not architects or contractors, the best move we made was hiring Valerie Walsh to be our AG Office LEED expert and consultant. She really was the one who put the whole state government and building contractors team together, and without her this project would never have been so successful. We simply couldn't have done this without her. So my advice to AG's and other lawyers or building owners who want to do LEED is simple: get yourself an expert you can trust to guide you through and manage the process, someone you pay who is answerable directly to you."
Bluestone, who continued as Chief Deputy for the beginning of Attorney General Gary King's term and who now works part-time as the AG's Senior Counsel, adds, "Those of us who work in the building are justifiably proud of knowing there is LEED certification. AG King took the initiative to organize the event to celebrate the LEED award. I think his commitment to LEED follow-up reflects his ongoing concern to be sure the AG's Office does everything it reasonably can to make our work environment pleasant and productive for everyone. I believe the staff really appreciates that."
And In Conclusion
In an earlier blog, I wrote about the LEED projects in our office. What I have come to appreciate about LEED is how useful a guideline the rating system can be when applied to many aspects of greening an office. Certainly, a LEED building project will propel any greening endeavor further because the system rewards a broad range of practices such as recycling efforts, green housekeeping, and environmentally preferable purchasing in addition to energy and water efficiency measures and construction and furnishing materials. I think this is extremely useful for any organization, even one that has no specific plan to seek LEED certification. But if you do, bookmark this blog and references, because the state of New Mexico and the Attorney General’s Office team constructed a building complex we can all admire and use as a model project.
A profile summary of the project and a LEED case study written by Valerie Walsh in partnership with the Attorney General’s Office as part of an educational Clean Energy Grant are excellent references for those interested in learning more. Another good resource is the US Green Building Council's “Road Map to Sustainable Government Buildings” to which Ms. Walsh contributed. |
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Lessons in Green Leadership: Tufts Practices What it TeachesJuly 7, 2010We learn something every day. Since GreenWorksGov debuted in March, I’ve been on a mission to find and highlight resources to help organizations start or advance their greening efforts. In an earlier blog, I wrote about the valuable information available from Eastern Connecticut State University’s Institute for Sustainable Energy Green Campus program. Today, I write to urge you to head to the Office of Sustainability at Tufts University where you can find model business practices, ideas for what you can do and how to do it, and mission and policy statements you can use as templates for your green programs. Even the website is an outstanding example of how to showcase and communicate green program principles and activities to staff and the public alike. Let me give you a brief tour. First, some background on Tufts' sustainability program (which I largely quote and you can read for yourself in the About Us section). Tufts University is located in the greater Boston area and has three campuses. The University has long been a pioneer in campus sustainability. In 1990 Tufts developed the first university environmental policy and launched the international Talloires Declaration, now endorsed by 413 university leaders worldwide.
More than fifteen years later, campus sustainability is now part of the fabric of university life: an electric tractor mows the organic baseball field; water use is down 10% since 1990; students can rent electric and hybrid vehicles as part of a shared vehicle program; dining services offers organic and local foods and buys high efficiency appliances; renewable energy powers a new residence hall (a LEED Gold building, topped with photovoltaic and solar hot water systems); the library hosts a green roof PhD project; recycling is a part of everyday life; and student learning is integrated into these many initiatives through undergraduate and graduate student research, class projects, and internships.
A combination of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and a new electricity contract has reduced Tufts' emissions close to 1990 levels. In 2005, the United States Environmental Protection Agency awarded the prestigious Climate Protection Award to Tufts for its efforts. In short, Tufts knows what it’s talking about.
The website comes fully loaded. Under the About Us tab you can find general background info and the mission statement. There is a FAQ’s tab aimed at students and staff with quick facts and answers to common questions. The Links page is a source for career opportunities in sustainability. The Archives is a virtual library of educational reference materials and recent communications from the Office. I will focus on the Big Two, “Programs” and “Take Action!”.
The Programs tab is where you can learn about specific efforts the university is taking to green its operations and raise awareness among students, faculty, and staff. There are great examples and ideas here for purchasing, paper conservation, energy savings, food services, buildings, water, and transportation. Tufts has an Eco-ambassador program for staff and student volunteers that could be transplanted to an office organization. Eco-Ambassadors attend training sessions to learn about current and past initiatives on campus; energy generation and use on campus; recycling; communicating the 'green' message; and opportunities for greening on campus.
The Take Action! Tab is host to a wide array of steps that contribute toward the university’s sustainability goals. There is the Campaign to Save Paper, a Green Guide, What You Can Do, Ridesharing info, and Recycling options. There is even an Eco-map showing where all the various recycling stations are on campus, where the LEED buildings are located, etc. A great solution to the perennial question, “Where can I recycle this?”
This is one site that you should bookmark on your Favorites list. I am better informed and infused with new ideas just for spending an hour on the site. Summer school at its best, and I plan to return often. GreenWorksGov salutes Tufts for its leadership in sustainable programs and environmental stewardship.
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Office Plants Clean the Air and MoreJune 23, 2010Are the workspaces in your office enlivened with potted plants that enhance the appearance of your office AND purify the air at the same time? Did you know that plants make for happier employees? This was the conclusion of a study that was detailed in the February 2008 issue of HortScience. Dr. Tina Marie Cade, associate professor of horticulture in the department of agriculture at Texas State University, did a survey of workers in Texas and the Midwest and found that plants in an office significantly impact a worker’s positive feelings of job satisfaction by as much as 20%. Read a summary of the report in Science Daily. Also, an environmental scientist who worked for NASA in the 1970’s, Bill Wolverton, has done extensive studies on the effect of plants on air quality. He retired from government service and formed an environmental consulting firm. In 1997, he published a book on how plants purify the air and create healthier environments for people. His advanced approach tackles the problems associated with sick-building syndrome and is being used in a prototype to clean the water and air conditioning systems in buildings using the natural abilities of plants. You can read more about it in the article on NASA’s Spinoff website.
Our local green office committees have held plant sales from time to time. In our Sacramento office, we offered a lunchtime seminar on office plants and their care. I asked the plant lady who comes around periodically to care for the larger shrubbery in our lobby areas if she’d be willing to share her knowledge about plants and which ones are best for cleaning the air in office settings. I caught up with her at a moment when she was happily at work in our office tending to a healthy plant, and she said “yes”. She’s a master gardener from University of California, Davis and she owns her own plant business. I also asked if she’d be willing to sell plants at the seminar at a discount, and she said “yes” to that, too. It was one of the best-attended lunchtime talks we have hosted, and the plants for $10 and $15 apiece flew out the door.
Our committees have held their plant sales either by buying in bulk and reselling onsite at the office, or by growing plants from seeds. It’s an easy way to generate cash for supporting the sales of promotional items, such as reusable bags, compostable garbage bags, books for resale and so on. It’s a double win because the plants improve the aesthetics of the office workspace and do their jobs to make employees feel happier, healthier and more satisfied with their work. What could be better?!
Here’s a website that lists Dr. Wolverton’s Top Ten best plants for cleaning the air. These were on the plant lady’s list, too.
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LEED By ExampleJune 2, 2010Recently, the fourth legal office building in our department received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the US Green Building Council (USGBC). We have received a gold, two silvers, and a basic LEED certification. Hurray! As a result, we can claim that 40% of all our employees work in a LEED certified building. In an earlier blog, I cited a study that showed the advantages to recruitment when the employer’s workplace is in a green building.
The State of California owns the four buildings, and our department is a major tenant in all of them. The state Department of General Services (DGS) has primary responsibility for the management and maintenance of state-owned buildings. Two years ago, in a rosier budget time, DGS had some funding to kick-start the LEED Existing Building certification process, and they cast about for likely candidates in their portfolio of buildings. At about the same time, I contacted DGS to learn more about the state’s building re-commissioning and retrofitting projects. We brought the key people in for a presentation to our Green Office-DOJ committee, and DGS learned about our greening efforts, too. The upshot was that buildings where we have offices were selected to be among the first to undergo the LEED review and application process. The fact that we had an established green program was a consideration, because we could earn points for our efforts toward LEED certification.
DGS is in charge of the LEED efforts for existing buildings, but our department played an important role. DGS hired a consulting firm, CTG Energetics, to essentially complete the building applications and submit them to the US Green Building Council. We started in Sacramento where we assembled a team of DOJ managers who met with the consultants over a period of several months. It was our task to provide information and supporting documentation to substantiate our greening efforts. The DGS building manager, engineering, and maintenance personnel who are assigned to our building supplied information necessary to complete the portions of the application pertinent to their responsibilities. The process was similar for our other buildings.
The USGBC has a lot of information and reference materials on their website that fully describes the LEED program and all that is entailed to certify a building. In summary, the criteria for certification encompasses the physical site and its surroundings, how employees commute to work, heating and air conditioning systems, landscaping, pest management, water efficiency, janitorial, lighting, indoor air quality, waste management, procurement, and innovations in operations. As tenants, we conducted employee surveys covering modes of transportation and satisfaction with air quality and temperatures. We provided detailed information on our procurement of Energy Star equipment and recycled content supplies. We had undertaken energy conserving efforts, such as installing desktop energy management software and disseminating reminders to staff to “pull the plug” on appliances when not in use. And we shared information on our Green Office-DOJ outreach efforts to employees to increase awareness and participation in our efforts to reduce, re-use, and recycle. These activities earned us valuable credits toward gaining LEED certification for our buildings.
We were fortunate to be in "the right place at the right time”. But it wasn’t luck that our department had embarked on a substantive greening initiative. The move to go green was a prudent decision that put us in an ideal position when the LEED opportunity arose.
Our employees work in about 50 leased and state-owned buildings, most of which may not ever be LEED certified. But knowing what we do now about all the aspects involved in a green building, the knowledge we gained helps us to identify areas where we can make improvements in any building. It could be as simple as working with the maintenance crew to switch to eco-friendly cleaning supplies, talking with the painters about low or no-VOC (volatile organic compound) paints, or switching out the light bulbs to compact fluorescents. The LEED rating criteria offers a checklist that can be a helpful reference tool to making smaller, but still important changes that bring your office closer to your sustainability goals.
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