2Sustain

Even though US housing starts have dropped dramatically since 2008, green construction is significantly increasing as a share of activity, according to new research from McGraw-Hill Construction, in conjunction with the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and Waste Management.

For example, in 2011, green homes comprised 17 percent of the overall residential construction market. The new study revealed that builders now predict this share of activity will grow to between 29 percent and 38 percent by 2016 — equating to a five-fold increase in five years (from $17 billion in 2011 to $87-$114 billion in 2016).

In addition, construction industry professionals reported an even steeper increase in green home remodeling. About one-third of remodelers (34 percent) said they expect to be doing mostly green work by 2016 –that’s a whopping 150 percent increase over 2011 activity levels.

The main driver of the transition to green building appears to be the current economic climate:

• Many home builders have shifted to the remodeling market due to the drastic drop in new home construction. Well more than half (62 percent) of the builders who do both new and remodeling work verified that the economy has increased their renovation work.
• 46 percent of builders and remodelers and 71 percent of firms dedicated to green home building said they find “building green” makes it easier to market themselves in a down economy.
• A 7 percent drop in green construction costs has encouraged more home owners to seriously consider green building.

Three regions in particular are seeing higher than average growth in green building: the West Coast, the Midwest’s northern region and New England. But, the trend nationwide shows no signs of subsiding. In fact, the report projects that by 2016: (more…)

As I’m sure you’re aware, oil prices are still on the rise, and unfortunately, analysts say that trend isn’t likely to reverse itself any time soon.

As consumers begrudgingly pat their empty pockets at the pump, businesses, particularly in the shipping sector, also are wondering how best to adapt.

Some are trying to lay blame or even pass the buck by forcing additional surcharges and costs. Others are taking a more proactive approach, advocating for alternative energy fixes or other innovative technology solutions.

In his recent blog post Three Strategies for Reducing Fuel Costs in 2012, Derek Singleton outlines a handful of these new ideas. As Singleton points out, even though rising fuel costs have caused more that a few headaches for shippers and carriers, these problems also have inspired valuable scrutiny of processes and procedures. As a result, shippers are learning that careful planning and the use of predictive technologies–such as distribution business software–can minimize the impact fuel costs have on the bottom line.

If you’re managing a fleet, Singleton suggests you cope with rising fuel costs by using three general strategies. He advises you: (more…)

The US Green Building Council awarded General Mills yet another LEED Gold certification –this one for its expanded production facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Three of General Mills’ company buildings have already earned LEED certification.

Environmental benefits of the expanded production facility include:

• An aggressive recycling program almost eliminating waste paper, plastics, cardboard and packaging.
• A 30 percent reduction in energy use due to the production line’s new proprietary high-efficiency oven.
• A 30 percent reduction in indoor water use with the installation of high-efficiency faucets and low-flow plumbing.
• A 70 percent reduction in irrigation water with the use of native vegetation for landscaping.

The following commitments also contributed to the plant’s certification: (more…)

Researchers at the Centre for Low Carbon Futures have concluded that cities could cut their energy bills by billions –if they exploited commercially attractive opportunities in energy and carbon management.

The study, which focused on cities in the UK, found that about 10 percent of city scale GDP leaves the local economy every year through payment of the energy bill . . . and, as you would expect,  that percentage is forecast to grow considerably over the next decade.

However, by investing 1 percent of GDP for 10 years, cities could see savings in their energy bills worth 1.6 percent of GDP every year. In addition, taking advantage of low carbon development would create jobs, mitigate energy risks and reduce environmental impacts. (more…)

Last month, Kraft Foods shared results of a pioneering survey that measured the company’s impact on climate change, land and water use.

The multi-year footprinting project—in partnership with Quantis Inc. and reviewed by World Wildlife Fund and academics at the University of Minnesota Institute on the Environment—showed Kraft that its environmental impact goes far beyond the company’s walls.

For example, based on the results of the analysis, Kraft, learned that more than 90 percent of its carbon footprint is outside its plants and offices. Nearly 60 percent is from farm commodities.

The company doesn’t own farms, but the survey certainly supports the work of Kraft’s sustainable agriculture efforts on key commodities to improve crop yields, reduce environmental impacts and improve the lives of farm workers and their families.

In addition, the footprinting work revealed that: (more…)