8 Reasons a CEO Should Care About Sustainability

May 9th, 2013, No Comments

By: Tiffany Richmond
Sustainability has long been on the agenda at many companies, but for decades their environmental, social and governance activities have been disconnected from core strategy. Most still take a fragmented, reactive approach – launching ad hoc initiatives to enhance their ‘green’ credentials, to comply with regulations, or to deal with emergencies – rather [...]

Tips for Building a Business Case for Sustainability

April 29th, 2013, No Comments

By: Tiffany Richmond
I stumbled across this article on the Sustainability Learning Center website that I thought was great summary of items companies should focus on when building the business case for sustainability. Here’s a summary of the article’s key points.
Tips on building a business case for sustainability:

Meet your team “where they are”. If they are [...]

Building Occupant Behaviour Change Part 2: How To Do It (hint: go for the heart)

March 1st, 2013, No Comments

By: Randi Kruse
What’s at the heart of your office? Is it the bricks and mortar? The plumbing and wiring? If you stop to consider this question, an image of your clients or staff will likely come to mind – those friendly faces in the hall who often complain about how hot or cold it is. [...]

Building Occupant Behaviour Change Part 1: What is it, and Why Bother?

February 20th, 2013, No Comments

By Randi Kruse
The design team spent years researching the most efficient heating, cooling and lighting technology available on the market. The real estate company invested hundreds of thousands implementing LEED certified building infrastructure, and even more on software to manage energy consumption across multiple locations. The project was celebrated as the most efficient building of [...]

How to Promote Yourself as a Greenie Without Getting Taken out at the Knees

November 28th, 2012, 1 Comment

By: Randi Kruse
Cutting through the communications noise that permeates our lives requires a willingness to get in the ring and try something new; occasional media releases about the good work you’re doing are truly wasted time, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t get attention. If you’re already reducing your energy consumption and truly walking [...]

Preserving Tomorrow by Conserving Today | Burnbrae Farms

November 14th, 2012, No Comments

By: Tiffany Richmond
If you’ve been to the grocery store recently and stopped by the dairy section to pick up a carton of eggs then you’ve no doubt have noticed the abundance of cartons labelled Burnbrae Farms. Burnbrae Farms, a family owned and operated company, has become a household name in egg farming, producing eggs for [...]

Re-commissioning Benefits – Isn’t Preventative Maintenance Enough?

November 8th, 2012, 1 Comment

By: Luke Ferdinands
Existing building commissioning – which I will refer to here as re-commissioning for simplicity’s sake – is quickly becoming a part of leading organizations’ business strategy.  A strategic approach to re-commissioning existing buildings can generate not only energy savings, but a host of other benefits for both facility owners and tenants. 
Why is Re-Commissioning [...]

Tame Your Vampires Before They Devour Your Energy Budget

October 23rd, 2012, No Comments

By: Randi Kruse
It’s that time of year again. Grocery stores crowded with spooky displays of vampires and goblins, and everyone anxious for the festivities to begin. But there are other ominous signs of trouble brewing quietly in the corners of your office. Did you know that there are vampires gobbling up 10% your energy budget [...]

Re-commissioning/Retro-commissioning/Existing Building Commissioning/Continuous Commissioning – What’s the Best Approach for Me?

October 16th, 2012, No Comments

By: Luke Ferdinands
When it comes to energy conservation there’s a lot of buzz about re-commissioning. But as I move through professional meetings, conferences and even casual conversations I keep hearing about not only re-commissioning but also retro-commissioning, on-going commissioning, continuous commissioning and existing building commissioning. Sometimes the terms are used almost interchangeably but [...]

How Climate Change can Influence your Investment Portfolio

September 7th, 2012, No Comments

By: Tiffany Richmond

Climate change risk is embedded in every investment portfolio, as companies worldwide face regulatory, legal, physical and competitive risks. Climate policies, such as, regulating greenhouse gas emissions can influence an organization’s cost structure, create new market and product opportunities, affect competition and alter demand patterns. Climate change policies can also influence an organization’s [...]