Distinguished Blog - Sustainability

Market insights and industry news.

Water Conservation Tips for Buildings

It’s a no-brainer: Water=Life. We need it, we use it, but we have to conserve it better. Commercial and residential buildings can have a huge impact on water conservation with just a handful of low-cost or no-cost water solutions.

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Student Housing and Sustainability Policies

Universities across the United States are committed to sustainability on and off campus, including for student housing. In fact, many universities have sustainable practices in place for their student housing facilities such as energy efficiencies, use of renewable resources, reduction of energy use, use of recycled and recyclable products, reduction of water use, waste reduction and…

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It Just Makes Cents: The 6 Reasons to Secure a Green Building Certification

Planning to build a new multifamily building? Before you finalize your construction plans, consider going green. Sounds pricey, doesn’t it? Truth is: it can save you money in the long run and help you attract new, responsible tenants in the short term—not to mention some reduced-premium insurance options, too. There’s a number of certifications and…

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A Sustainable Culture

Culture week. An opportunity for an organization to get together to share, learn, and grow to build a deeper connection to the core mission and values. We had ours last week, and it was great. Two full days of employee-led sessions on everything from stress management, communication, conflict resolution, to personal finance. We celebrated and…

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Earth Month Spotlight: Real Estate

Earth Month continues with a look at the commercial real estate sector, where strides are being made in reducing the industry’s collective carbon footprint, particularly in Class-A office buildings in top-tier cities. Investors, developers, managers, and corporate tenants throughout the country have embraced the concept of sustainability—due in large part to the efforts of the…

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Earth Month Spotlight: Restaurants

Last week we took a look at hotels that were making major sustainability efforts to reduce their environmental impact. This week we will visit another important hospitality industry that is making major improvements in how they do business. Restaurants are quickly learning the importance of sustainability, from using local and seasonal produce to prioritizing waste…

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Earth Month Spotlight: Hotels & Resorts

In celebration of Earth Day, we are dedicating the month of April to sustainability awareness in the industries we touch. Each week, we are going to take a look at how businesses are making a positive impact on the environment through both design and human behaviors, starting with the hotel and resort industry.

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Going Green Goes Mainstream

As consumers become more conscious of the environmental impact of their day-to-day lives, entrepreneurs are taking the opportunity to create new businesses and products that enable green living. Annual green building construction spending in the U.S. is projected to increase 15 percent a year between 2015 to 2018, reaching $224.4 billion in 2018, according to…

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Insurers Addressing Impact of Extreme Weather

The issue of climate change is one on which the insurance industry is strongly focusing, particularly in the light of the severe weather that has devastated communities throughout the United States over the last several years. 2015 alone included 10 weather and climate disaster events across the U.S. that each exceeded $1 billion in damages….

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How to Reduce Your Environmental Footprint 2016

News in the sustainability world: New York City’s most famed hotels are pledging to get greener. By doing so, these hotel owners have agreed to cut greenhouse gases from their buildings by 30 percent or more in the next decade. As New York mayor Bill de Blasio said, if Manhattan’s most iconic hotels can significantly…

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Sustainability Spotlight: Marriott

We are always on the lookout for major brands that are setting the standard in green building practices. When it comes to hotels, Marriott is undeniably a leader in the field. In 2005, Marriott became the first major hotel company in the U.S. to design and construct a LEED-certified hotel according to U.S. Green Building…

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