Magazine

  Africa could supply the whole world with affordable low-carbon energy in the form of hydrogen, a new report suggests. In its Africa Energy Outlook 2022, the International Energy Agency (IEA) says Africa’s rich renewable resources — particularly solar energy, but also onshore wind — are the key to unlocking this potential. Africa could produce…

Let’s face it: Nobody likes getting lost. But facilities professionals, their colleagues in other departments, visitors, and customers often get lost when navigating unfamiliar facilities or even unfamiliar parts of their own facilities. They might also be hesitant to ask for directions, or maybe they just can’t find anyone to ask. There is a strong…

“Was this your dream job when you were in school?” As the first chief sustainability officer for the city of Chicago, I was asked some version of this question many times. And the simple answer was actually “no.” Not because it wasn’t an absolutely amazing job. It was. The role just didn’t exist when I…

  Corporate emissions accounting standards and aligned recognition programs have encouraged many large corporations to invest in more renewable electricity. However, the drive towards a zero-carbon electric grid requires more than kilowatt hours of wind and solar. To enhance the emissions impact of these zero-carbon electricity purchases, it matters where the renewable energy is located…

Living buildings that return resources to the environment are one of the best strategies for combatting climate change. Sustainability is so last millennium. These days, sustainability is the bare minimum on building projects. Climate change has progressed to the point that sustainability alone won’t be adequate for preventing the worst effects. The definition of sustainability…

  In some cases, it makes sense to carry out cleaning and maintenance work after dark. There is less foot and vehicular traffic and fewer distractions and interruptions in most facilities at night, and that can lend itself nicely to a job well done. But, of course, night cleaning brings its own set of specific…