Of all the ideas about how to combat climate change, this one is the least controversial: Using less energy is good. Not only does using less energy reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it also saves organizations money. And that is the number one goal for literally every facility manager: Identifying ways to add value to the organization with cost savings.
Lost in the political rhetoric around the proposed Green New Deal is this simple fact: It would save money because it will make buildings more energy efficient. A Green New Deal would upgrade state energy codes to much more stringent levels, and it would help provide a mechanism for upgrading existing buildings to much better energy efficiency, according to Vox.
The Vox article also discusses six jurisdictions that are already making great progress on energy efficiency as a climate change mitigation strategy. Leading the pack, of course, is California which has a statewide net-zero carbon by 2045. The story also discusses energy benchmarking ordinances in Washington, D.C., the state of Washington, New York City, and Massachusetts. All of these jurisdictions also have stringent greenhouse gas emission reduction goals and goals for generating a high percentage of future energy from renewable sources.
Obviously, the Green New Deal as legislation has a limited chance of passing in the current political environment. But hopefully, facility managers are motivated to action by more than just politics. Energy and cost savings are certainly strategies both left and right can agree on.
Greg Zimmerman is executive editor of Building Operating Management. Read his cover story on how buildings are tackling climate change.
