2Sustain

Last year, a newly-constructed FedEx Express facility in Las Vegas became the company’s first building to receive LEED certification. Then, the FedEx Memphis-based World Headquarters received LEED Gold certification under the USGBC’s LEED for Existing Buildings Rating System.

Now, FedEx Express has announced that LEED Certification is the standard for all of its newly-built US facilities.

LEED, the green building rating system developed by the US Green Building Council (USGBC) is the leading benchmark for buildings that are designed, constructed and operated sustainably.

According to FedEx, which is an active member of the USGBC, the Las Vegas LEED Gold building provides significant water, energy and waste reduction benefits. For example: (more…)

In an effort to enable retailers to better integrate sustainability into their real estate footprint, the US Green Building Council (USGBC) has released a new retail specific rating system for LEED building certification.

The LEED for Retail rating system was modeled after the long-established LEED for New Construction and LEED for Commercial Interiors rating systems; however, the new retail system includes key considerations for retail space, such as occupancy, waste streams, energy consumption and water use.

Developed with the support of nearly 100 pilot participants, including RILA members’ Delhaize America, Best Buy, Target, Staples and REI, LEED for Retail underscores the retail industry’s commitment to sustainability initiatives. More than 650 retail projects have already achieved LEED certification. Perhaps more importantly, more than 4,000 additional retail projects have been registered and are working towards LEED certification. (more…)

General Mills has completed installation of solar panels at its facility in Methuen, Massachusetts, and the company says it now expects solar energy to supply nearly 80 percent of the warehouse’s summertime power needs, and 40 percent of its needs the rest of the year.

This is the first General Mills facility in the US to produce its own electricity using solar energy.

The panels will: (more…)

Officials from 24 governments met in Washington, D.C. last week for the first-ever Clean Energy Ministerial, and they launched 11 initiatives to accelerate the global transition to clean energy.

In broad terms, these initiatives will: (more…)

Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that it will delay enforcing a new lead-paint regulation until October1,2010.

The new regulation, called the Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (Lead RRP Rule), requires that contractors working in older homes become certified by a government-approved trainer and follow strict safety precautions. Although RRP has been effective since April of this year, the EPA says it is now responding to concerns by the regulated community regarding difficulties experienced in obtaining the required certification and renovation worker training. (more…)