As we celebrate Earth Week 2023, it’s clear that investing in our planet is more critical than ever, and CPL’s Sustainability Committee is playing an important role in actualizing that investment.
Chaired by Andrew Goodermote, AIA, and composed of members Michelle Trott, AIA, NCARB, ACHA, Dave Hart, P.E., Greg Royer, Mike Pena, P.E., CBCP, Tod Dalton, AIA, LEED AP, NCARB and Jason Streb, AIA, the nascent committee meets periodically to discuss a range of topics, including defining CPL’s position on sustainability and outlining company-wide commitments. Furthermore, they aim to drive an emergent culture shift by educating both staff and clients on reducing our impact on the environment.
The committee is also exploring strategies to curtail carbon emissions and energy usage in buildings. One topic of discussion has centered around the “Better Buildings Challenge,” which strives to ensure that 40% of the total designed square footage across all building types is zero energy or zero carbon.
Governments across the world are all expeditiously enacting mandates and policies focused on carbon reduction. According to Goodermote, this further encourages us to capitalize on opportunities to design buildings using renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, hydro or fuel cell technology.
“Designing energy-efficient buildings and reducing carbon emissions will aid us in minimizing our ecological footprint,” explained Goodermote. “It will continue to curb building lifecycle costs for our clients and ameliorate the health of our planet.”
To better reflect their mission, the committee has taken on a “Climate SMART” (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-Bound) mentality—a name that Goodermote says will emphasize the importance of defining clear, firm-wide sustainability goals and measuring progress towards them.
“Continued action and establishment of robust standards is paramount in driving profitability, enhancing financial performance and above all, fostering a healthier planet,” said Goodermote. “Sustainability is the path forward to ensure a prosperous future for all.”
