Browsing: Sustainability

Buildings that offer flexibility allow future generations to reuse, restore, and adapt it for other uses.

Construction sites are known for their excessive water usage and generation of liquid waste, both of which have a negative impact on the environment. Despite the importance of efficient water management, it is often overshadowed by the focus on carbon emissions reduction in construction. This is partly due to the fact that water-related issues tend to be more localized and may not have as immediate a global impact as climate change. Additionally, there may be a lack of awareness and understanding of the importance of efficient water management in the construction industry.

“The best air quality in the world.” “The world’s first National Park City.” “A zero carbon, zero waste city.”

Those are just some of the bold goals London Mayor Sadiq Khan announced in 2018 as part of the city’s plan to make London a world leader in sustainability. As he put it at the time, “My aspiration is to help turn London into a zero carbon city by 2050. And I’m committed to working with national government, local boroughs, London’s businesses, NGOs, our European neighbours, and individual Londoners to achieve this goal.”

Building green isn’t just a trend—it’s a responsibility. In 2021, several STOBG companies signed on to the Contractor’s Commitment, a pledge created by contractors for contractors, to set sustainability targets and measure their progress—divided into Good, Better, or Best tiers. Over the last two years, those early signatories were able to provide valuable input to make the Commitment even stronger and more impactful.

There is a growing focus on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues in the built environment. From a company’s carbon footprint and waste management practices, to its interactions with its stakeholders and communities, to its internal policies, procedures, and decision-making processes, consumers are increasingly considering what a company stands for rather than simply what services it provides.

As our world becomes unpredictably hotter due to climate change caused by carbon emissions, governments and organizations are taking increasingly bolder actions to curb and mitigate associated risks. One fascinating emergence from this past summer has been the emergence of Chief Heat Officers (CHO).

Data centers are the heart of the digital infrastructure that all the primary data we consume on a daily basis resides and is processed through.

In late 2021, Schrödinger, a company whose physics-based computational platform is transforming the way therapeutics and materials are discovered, retained the Structure Tone Boston team as a construction management partner to help build their Cambridge, MA office.

Buildings are responsible for a significant portion of global carbon emissions. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the building sector is responsible for around 40% of total global energy consumption and about 28% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing the carbon emissions of the building sector is an important step in addressing climate change.

When it comes to building repositioning, what motivates developers to build green? Tune in as Curtis Brown, STOBG’s VP of Business Development explores that topic from all angles—from environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors to new emissions regulations—with Brian Geller, Senior Sustainability Manager at The Durst Organization, Brooks McDaniel, SVP of Building Repositioning at STO Building Group, and Jennifer Taranto, VP of Sustainability at STO Building Group.