April/May 2009
Sustainable Development
C O N T E N T S
Executive Director's Corner: Standing with Giants, by Deb Kleinman
Special: Remembering Greg Franta, by Annette Stelmack
LEED: Aardex Receives Second Platinum LEED Certification from the USGBC, by Mike Hehir
Energy Incentives: Xcel Announces New Incentives, by Erine Mathe
Sustainable Development: Grassroots Efforts Support a Sustainable Ethic, by Sarah Martinez
Government: Greening the Government: State Leads by Example, by Angie Fyfe
Case Study: Extracting Value From NAIOP's Highly Criticized Building Cost Report, by Courtney France
Go Green, Save Money: Rep. Perlmutter Legislation Promotes Going Green To Save Green, by Christopher Votoupal
Colorado Building Green is the official newsletter of the U.S. Green Building Council – Colorado Chapter, and is published bi-monthly. If you are interested in submiting a story, ideas or other information for publication, please contact the editor at sarah@usgbccolorado.org
Grassroots Efforts Support A Sustainable Ethic
More and More Real Estate Developers Jump Onboard
By Sarah Martinez , Sustainability Analyst, Prologis
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Empower and Promote
With a solid network of volunteers in place, the next step is to execute on objectives. However, there’s no faster way to suck the motivation out a newly established program than by structuring it like a dictatorship. Participants need to feel like their time and ideas are valued and recognized.
At ProLogis, for example, the Sustainability Champions formed into four teams focused around our offices’ main environmental impact areas - Energy, Waste, Procurement and Water. Then, they were asked to develop a set of recommendations ProLogis should strive for in each of these areas to reduce its environmental impact. The culmination of responses resulted in the “ProLogis Green Path,” which has become the company’s internal standard for greening its operations. While there are hundreds of environmental actions an organization can take, the ProLogis Green Path is effective because it is relevant to our company and was created by our employees. This focus and buy-in also enabled its adoption and success.
It’s equally important to promote the efforts of those who contribute. This can easily be achieved through internal communications programs to educate and inform employees. Supporting collateral, such as an interactive PDF or poster that describes various initiatives, can also go a long way in furthering the messages. Finally, open, regular communication company-wide helps raise awareness and generates enthusiasm. This can be achieved through emails, newsletters or using other internal communication tools.
Best Practices
The impact of establishing a volunteer program to support internal sustainability initiatives can be extremely positive – and is something ANY company can do. It saves costs, engages employees, and does not require a large capital outlay to get the program off the ground.
In terms of getting started, the foremost step is to secure executive sponsorship. Support from upper management from the get-go will make it easier to roll out this type of program. Next, ask for volunteers! Often, this is the best approach to get a program off the ground because the people who step forward are likely to be the most enthusiastic about the program in the first place. Third, don’t discriminate who can get involved. Some offices may end up having multiple volunteers, which may be comprised of assistants, Vice Presidents and everything in between. This diversity is an asset. And, respect people’s time. If your network is in fact volunteers, make sure the impact on their day-to-day duties is minimal while also being valuable. If possible, participation can be further encouraged by developing a formal recognition program to reward volunteers for their efforts.
In Closing
We all want to do our part in implementing sustainability practices and programs. It is nice to know that many of the tools and strategies companies use to “green” their operations can benefit both the environment and employees through increased engagement. By using a little creativity, it is more than possible to transform a corporate objective into a culture of sustainability that resonates company-wide.