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Energy & Emissions

Energy Security through Sustainable Supply Chains

Energy security is the availability, accessibility, affordability, and acceptability of a sustainable energy supply. This is a key sustainability issue as demonstrated through the Sustainable Development Goal 7 to “ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all”.

Digital Infrastructure Part 1: Energy

The internet is big, and it is growing bigger. This is what happens on the internet every 60 seconds, and it is but a tiny snapshot of everything that happens. Our digital lives are becoming increasingly dependent on this network, but this is having an increasing physical impact too. Alongside the visible infrastructure that crisscross […]

2019 will be the year of adaptation to climate change: the French perspective

Decreasing energy consumption (of buildings in particular) is one of the major priorities of energy and climate policy in France following the Paris Agreement in 2015. This decrease considers all activity areas, especially real estate, which accounts for a large share of French carbon emissions (27%). With its first “Low Carbon National Strategy”, France is […]

Making Steps Toward Zero

2019 is the year of action, as leaders in sustainable real estate take major steps toward zero – from zero waste to zero carbon. Ambitious organizations are aiming for minimal—or even positive—impacts. The release of multiple zero carbon standards in 2018, including CaGBC’s Zero Carbon Building (ZCB) Standard, USGBC’s LEED Zero and ILFI’s Zero Carbon […]

Trends & Expectations for 2019 – Siemens Building Technologies

Input from Agustin Garcia del Castillo, Business Development Manager Real Estate and Sustainability Manager for Siemens Building Technologies. At Siemens Building Technologies, we’re raising the bar on sustainability. We are deeply committed to our environment, society at-large, and responsible business practices. We are taking action to reduce climate impacts across our entire value chain and […]

Towards zero – a targeted approach

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s recent report gave a stark warning that current pledges from governments are not enough to avoid dangerous levels of climate change. In order to avoid this, we need to be aiming for a maximum of 1.5 degrees of warming above pre-industrial levels. Current INDCs (Intended Nationally Determined Contributions) to 2030 mean that […]

Time to improve your assets

If you attended one of the 2018 GRESB Results events, you probably discovered the three key elements of sustainable assets: efficiency, health & well-being, and resilience. While companies are increasingly addressing the issues of resilience and health and well-being in the built environment, efficiency is one of the most longstanding topics of the sustainable building […]

4 Key challenges and solutions to achieving carbon neutrality

The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has issued a recent report stipulating that without drastic measures to cut carbon emissions, reduce energy use and remove carbon already in the atmosphere, we are “extremely unlikely” to meet the Paris Agreement goal of keeping global warming below 1.5C.

Carbon Context: Achieving Clarity in Public Emission Disclosures

“Our company has reduced our emissions by 20%!” The frequency of carbon disclosure headlines such as this is only increasing as the real estate industry steps up its environmental initiatives.

Comprehensive Carbon Footprinting in Real Estate

Developing a truly representative carbon footprint for the real estate sector has been something of a challenge for the industry. Recent pushes from the bigger players have both served to highlight the trials ahead, as well as provide much-needed leadership for change.

Are you getting recognition for your green power purchases?

Building rating and emission reporting bodies will grade your organization on its carbon footprint and emissions resulting from electricity consumption. The problem is that all kWh are not created equal. To ensure that you’re being fairly graded you should make sure you’re taking advantage of your green power purchases and any green electricity guarantees provided […]

Canada’s first Zero Carbon Building – Performance certified project prioritizes carbon emissions as key metric

With its achievement of Canada’s first Zero Carbon Building – Performance certification in June 2018, Bentall Kennedy’s 100 Murray Street building in Ottawa highlights how any high-performing existing building can reach zero carbon emissions.

Material considerations for reducing building related carbon footprint

Buildings account for almost 40% of carbon emissions generated globally, making them one of the most significant contributors to our carbon footprint [1].

Would You Risk the Planet’s Fate on a ‘Coin Toss’?

The climate coin toss: Has your business set carbon reduction targets that only have a 50% chance of preventing a catastrophe? The Science-Based Targets Initiative is helping companies to set carbon targets to achieve the Paris Agreement’s ‘2ºC’ goal, but their approach gives just a 50% chance of success. Can we risk the fate of […]

Algonquin College – Where Education and Sustainability Combine for a Greener Future

When Algonquin College made a commitment to become a more sustainable institution for future generations, it turned to Siemens to help achieve its goals. For more than 25 years, Siemens and Algonquin College have partnered to work towards an ambitious goal of ensuring the college reaches a zero net carbon footprint by 2042. A perfect […]

Units Retrofitted with SMC Motors led to 53% HVAC Fan Energy Savings

Basin Street Properties Retrofit Seven Rooftop Units with SMC Motors And Saw Total Annualized HVAC Fan Energy Savings of 53% Customer Story Basin Street Properties is one of Northern California and Northern Nevada’s prominent developers, investors, and managers of commercial properties with over 4 million square feet under management. The company is committed to sustainable […]

Carbon Shift: Why Energy is Fading as a Key Performance Indicator

One of the benefits of early participation in the GRESB Real Estate Assessment was that it helped real estate portfolios improve their environmental, social and governance (ESG) -related policies and management systems.

Rising to the Net Neutral Challenge

Real estate professionals have been issued a challenge: zero out the net greenhouse gas emissions and energy usage of the built environment.

GSA’s High-Performance Buildings Reduce Costs, Increase Tenant Satisfaction

A recently released 2018 study by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) finds that high-performance buildings save energy, save water, cost less to operate, produce less waste, and have more satisfied occupants compared with typical buildings. In short, they reduce operating costs and increase tenant satisfaction.

Net Zero and Science Based Targets- Connecting the Dots

I was recently asked how Science Based Targets are connected to Zero Carbon Buildings – hmmm, I thought, interesting question. Let’s start with the definitions.

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