Can you label your carbon footprint like calories? Read this amazing piece about Allbirds before you do anything else…

Businesses

BUSINESSES

Commercial building owners and managers will invest an estimated $960 billion globally by 2023 on greening their existing built infrastructure. Major priority areas include more energy-efficient heating, solar, ventilation and air conditioning, windows, lighting, plumbing fixtures, and other key technologies. There are many benefits to a green commercial space: a healthier environment, and lower waste and utility costs. For companies leasing space in these buildings, recruitment and retention are improved, particularly among millennials, who would take a pay cut to work at an environmentally responsible company

The Bullitt Center in Seattle, Washington is certified as a “Living Building” and considered to be one of the greenest commercial buildings in the world. The building features net zero energy and water, composting toilets, toxic-free materials, FSC wood, and more.

Find innovative green building ideas here.

Bloomberg London: Workplace of the Future

CURRENT NEWS

It’s Payback Time

By Mark Schapiro 06/01/23
Until now the fossil fuel industries have not had to account for the full costs to society of their products. Billions of dollars in climate-related expenses have been hidden inside the budgets for disaster recovery,…
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Climate change calls for cuts in carbon emissions. These US companies are leading the way.

By Elizabeth Weise 05/24/23
Industry produces 23% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, which makes cleaning up businesses a crucial part of the fight against climate change. Evaluating such efforts is complex and daunting, requiring deep dives into multiple, sometimes…
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Walmart to add EV charging to thousands of stores by 2030

By Jeanne Whalen 04/06/23
Walmart said it will add electric-vehicle charging to thousands of its U.S. stores by 2030, on the belief that EV adoption is reaching a tipping point. The company plans to add the fast-charging stations to…
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Why seniors are blocking entrances to the four largest U.S. banks

By Maxine Joselow and Vanessa Montalbano 03/21/23
Climate activists on Tuesday will protest four banks — Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Citibank and Wells Fargo — that help finance the fossil fuel industry....
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The world is finally cracking down on ‘greenwashing’

By Emma Marris 03/01/23
Let’s say you want to buy a T-shirt and you want your investment to be as environmentally sustainable as possible—after all, clothing production generates 8 to 10 percent of global carbon emissions. How should you…
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The carbon emissions of big tech

By Rodrigo Navarro 02/13/23
With a record 36 billion tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions produced globally in 2021, the world has no choice but to take action on climate change. Policy reports from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on…
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World’s biggest companies accused of exaggerating their climate actions

By Sam Meredith 02/07/22
The climate pledges of the world’s largest companies plan to reduce absolute carbon emissions by just 40% on average, not 100% as suggested by their net-zero claims, according to a study of 25 corporations.
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Chicago requires new building construction include EV charging capabilities

By Robert Walton 04/28/20
The Chicago City Council last week approved an ordinance requiring that new construction of some residential and commercial buildings ensures at least 20% of any supplied parking spaces are ready for electric vehicle (EV) charging…
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Top 10 Green Advances in Commercial Building

By Shanna Freeman 03/11/20
Although we're more concerned about the environment now than ever before, that hasn't kept us from continuing to put up new buildings. At least we're concerned about how these buildings impact good ol' Mother Earth.
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What Is Green Architecture? (+How It Informs Modern Sustainability)

By Nicholas Van Antwerp 10/15/19
Science shows that humans are leeching the world’s resources. There have been many different reactions around the world to the scientific findings that Earth, as we know it, is endangered. In the architecture industry, the…
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When Office Buildings Go Beyond Green

By Joe Gose 04/23/19
The crowded field of third-party certifications has left some wondering which are necessary and which are just marketing gimmicks.
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5 Ways Architectural Design Is Going Green

By Lara O'Keefe 12/08/17
Sustainability has been at the forefront of building construction and design for years. As Americans become more conscious of climate change and environmental issues, building owners are pushing for improved green building strategies that will…
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KEY RESOURCES

Icons

EFFICIENCIES

HEATING

BATTERY

MICROGRIDS

SOLAR

LIGHTING

BS = Battery and Storage. If you see no icon in front of an entry, it means the entry covers more than one subject.

Decarbonizing Space Heating with Air Source Heat Pumps

11/27/20
Some studies show near-universal electrification of space heating, suggesting that ASHPs (with some backup from electric resistance heaters) can be almost a silver bullet solution for decarbonizing space heating. These studies start with the assumption…

The How and Why of Green Building

03/11/20
Buildings around the world account for more than 40 percent of energy use and almost a third of greenhouse gas emissions. The United Nations Environment Programme projects that if we continue with business as usual…

10 Most Sustainable Office Buildings Worldwide

03/11/20
With the alarming changes in global climate and the running out of non-renewable energy resources, sustainability in design has become an essential requirement and not just a design option. Now, architects from around the globe…

Commercial Tenant Program

03/11/20
NYSERDA’s Commercial Tenant Program supports tenants, landlords, and industry consultants in improving interior office and leased spaces through thoughtful design, proactive maintenance and operations, and actionable plans to reduce energy consumption over the life of…

4 Ways To Make Commercial Buildings Sustainable

03/11/20
What goes into a green blueprint? What does it take to design sustainable commercial buildings? An eco-conscious architect has to answer these questions and others like them. They account for dozens of factors when drafting…

Top 10 green buildings for 2019

03/11/20
The Amherst College Science Center and Frick Environmental Center are among the high-performance projects to be honored with AIA 2019 COTE Top Ten Awards.

How to design a truly sustainable office building

03/11/20
Here's a checklist for an extreme green dream office, courtesy of Dr. Peter Rickaby.

Sustainable Office Buildings

03/11/20
In more recent times, the importance of the changing climate and its effects on the environment are being given more attention in regard to design practices. As a result, sustainable work spaces are becoming more…

MORE NEWS

Sustainable Office Buildings in the US

By Gemma Church   07/18/20  
What’s more, the energy-efficient lighting systems are fitted throughout the building, including a particularly impressive LED installation on top of Tower 6 producing 340 shades of color and various patterns to illuminate the night sky.
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ecotech design completes shipping container hotel at california winery

07/08/20  
​ecotech design​, a los angeles-based studio led by architect walter scott perry, has completed an eco-friendly shipping container hotel in california. forming part of a winery in paso robles, the geneseo inn offers a luxury hospitality experience in upcycled container dwellings perched above the…
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Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and Cleveland Clinic Courts among buildings and leading organizations that have enrolled to achieve the WELL Health-Safety Rating

07/08/20  
The WELL Health-Safety Rating is an evidence-based, third-party verified rating for all new and existing building and space types focused on operational policies, maintenance protocols, emergency plans and stakeholder engagement strategies to help organizations prepare…
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Vestre to Build the World’s Greenest Furniture Factory

By Ryan Waddoups   07/07/20  
Building the factory is a crucial next step in Vestre’s ongoing mission to become the world’s most sustainable furniture manufacturer. “Man-made climate change is the greatest challenge of our time,” says Jan Christian Vestre, the…
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Arts space Phoenix Central Park rises to the top at the 2020 NSW Architecture Awards

By Sue Williams   07/03/20  
They’re three landmarks in Australian commercial real estate that are so completely different but which have now taken out the top commercial prizes at this year’s Australian Institute of Architects’ NSW Awards announced on Friday,…
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Europe’s largest green wall “will absorb eight tonnes of pollution annually” in London

By Lizzie Crook   11/11/19  
Citicape House will be wrapped by a facade of 400,000 plants that are hoped to "capture over eight tonnes of carbon and produce six tonnes of oxygen" annually.
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Green Offices Are No Longer The Exception, They’re a Competitive Must

By Adam C. Uzialko   07/11/17  
From improving energy efficiency to mitigating the impacts of climate change, businesses have been working to meet the demand of a marketplace that's ever-more ecologically conscious.
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The Business Case for Green Building

02/11/15  
The top two reasons for building green: client demand (35%) and market demand (33%). The global green building market grew in 2013 to $260 billion, including an estimated 20 percent of all new U.S. commercial…
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