Greetings!
 
As we get ready to say good-bye to 2013 and welcome in a new year, we at AGPOM are hoping you will be thinking of how you can incorporate sustainability into your business' new year's goals. See this month's Eco-tip article by Environmental Leader for some important points about how creating sustainability goals can help increase your bottom line.  
  
Other Highlights include:
  • New Member Feature: Shore Hotel, Santa Monica's Most Sustainable Luxury Hotel
  • AGPOM Membership Benefit Spotlight: COI Track
  • Save the Date: Upcoming Risk Management Center Orientation Webinars
  • Risk Management News: Commercial Property Owners Face Environmental Liability Challenges 
  • Spotlight on: US Green Building Council & LEED Certification
Wishing you all a very safe and sustainable holiday season!
 
The Association of Green Property Owners and Managers Newsletter
  
New Featured AGPOM Member: Shore Hotel
 
Photo courtesy of New York Times

Shore Hotel: Santa Monica's Newest Resort-like and Sustainable Luxury Boutique Hotel 

Ideally situated on beautiful Ocean Avenue, Shore Hotel Santa Monica is the newest luxury boutique hotel in the city. First in sustainability among Santa Monica luxury hotels and the only newly built LEED Gold certified hotel in Santa Monica, the resort-like property is ideal for environmentally-conscious hotel goers who don't want to sacrifice a luxurious experience.

 

This newly constructed hotel takes a revolutionary approach to sustainability. They've worked with a LEED consultant to ensure that every aspect of the hotel was designed to reduce the consumption of natural resources, from the building design itself to its day-to-day operation. As much as possible, the hotel relies on locally procured recycled and recyclable materials, many salvaged from the building's demolished pre-existing site for use in the new building.

 

Shore Hotel Room - Photo from Eco-adventurer

 A Sampling of their sustainable features: 

  • 50% of construction waste was recycled or salvaged
  • Wood from sustainable forests
  • 10% of all building materials are from within a 500 mile radius of the project
  • Low-flow water fixtures that significantly reduce water consumption
  • Native landscaping that reduces the extent of required irrigation
  • Sophisticated building controls system that monitors and adjusts energy usage
  • Low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) materials
  • Maximized access to natural daylight

 

Green Standards at this Hotel are GOLD!

 

This LEED Gold certified hotel features cutting-edge environmentally conscious amenities and technologies, offering guests a green yet luxurious experience. Environmentally-conscious touches like the solar-heated pool, furniture made with sustainable and recycled materials plus green cleaning products are just a few examples.

 

Guests enjoy non-toxic, naturally-daylit and ventilated rooms that feature eco-friendly furnishings and finishes such as carpeting made with minimal toxins, along with side chairs made of wood certified by the Pacific Forest and Watershed Lands Stewardship Council. Bathrooms are outfitted with faucets, toilets and showers that exceed current standards for usage efficiencies. In addition, guests can utilize Green Concierge services that provide suggestions about sustainable shopping, dining, and transportation options that are conveniently located within the vicinity of the hotel.

 

Shore Hotel is the first property in California to implement the Savings by Design program, allowing for participation in California Edison's Auto Demand Response, which enables the hotel to earn incentives for reducing the use of energy during peak hours. The hotel combines a high performance envelope, a reflective roof and glazing along with energy-efficient systems like automatic sensors, energy heat recovery, and even a highly efficient elevator.

 

Shore Hotel's Solar-heated pool

Situated on the beautiful California coast, Shore Hotel has partnered with Cleantheworld.org - Clean the World collects and recycles soap and shampoo products discarded by the hospitality industry every day. Through the distribution of these and other donated hygiene products to impoverished people, Clean the World prevent the millions of deaths caused by hygiene-related illnesses every day.

 

Enjoy efficiently designed guest rooms and a chic beachfront setting. Just blocks from the Santa Monica Pier and other local attractions, this hotel is an ideal venue for meetings and events as well as leisurely getaways.

 

Learn more about Shore Hotel here

 

 

Like to have your property featured in a future AGPOM newsletter?

Contact us!

 

AGPOM Member Benefit Spotlight: COI Track 

Easy Tracking of Your Certificates of Insurance

 

Save time and money while enhancing your Risk Management Program with COI Track. COI Track streamlines Certificate of Insurance Tracking to ensure you minimize risk by maintaining up-to-date vendor records with improved accuracy. Using COI Track also helps you to avoid the liability of uninsured or underinsured vendors, contractors, suppliers or tenants.

 

COI (Certificate of Insurance) Track
COI (Certificate of Insurance) Track

COI Track helps you:

  • Ensure coverage limits meet your requirements
  • Track and monitor policy expiration dates
  • Automatically notify non-compliant vendors
  • Automatic reporting provides complete documentation
  • Generate needed analysis by Vendor Project or Location
  • Easily Load Data and Attach Files
  • Scan ACCORD Forms with Optional Optical Character Recognition Feature 

 

Watch the video (right) to learn more!

 

COI Track is part of the AGPOM Risk Management Center, a comprehensive suite of insurance risk management, workplace safety, and compliance software tools, available complimentary through AGPOM Membership.

 

Read more about the importance of tracking Certificates of Insurance. 

 

  

Get Started Using Your Risk Management Platform Benefit!

webinar

 

Did you know that the online Risk Management Center can save you money?

 

Join us for an educational overview webinar to learn more about the applications within your risk management platform.

 

Choose from one of the following webinars and click the link to register.

 

Tuesday, December 17 at 9:00am PST

 

Thursday, December 19 at 11:00am PST

 

These webinars will help you get more out of your platform and improve your productivity.

 

 

 

Don't have your login information? 

Contact Elise Veley: Elise.V@succeedms.com

or call (503) 783-1925 for your user name and password.

Commercial Property Owners Face Environmental Liability Challenges

 

By Annie George

Environmental Risks & Commercial Property Owners

 

When you think about environmental risks, what may immediately come to mind are industrial sites, manufacturing plants and other high-hazard businesses. But all types of businesses and property owners face pollution liability exposures, including office complexes, shopping centers, hotels and resorts, and other real estate sectors.

 

Property owners, developers and managers must be aware of and address everything from indoor air quality issues to the use of hazardous building materials and more. They should also be aware of current developments in regulation and litigation so that they can make better-informed decisions about their risk management and loss-prevention protocols, including decisions regarding environmental insurance protection.

  

Stay Compliant, Implement Ongoing Risk Management

 

Insurance & Risk Management:

Legionnaires at Hotels/Resorts

Compliance of environmental laws is critical for property owners who can face significant fines if found in violation. In addition, third-party lawsuits for damages (most commonly from the owner's tenants) as a result of an environmental exposure can be costly. For example, toxic substances in building materials have been the cause of enormously costly lawsuits. Asbestos and lead paint have resulted in decades of litigation and billions of dollars in settlements.

 

Diligence in risk management, including conducting environmental site assessments (a prerequisite for most commercial transactions) and ongoing prevention and control measures, are key in vetting problems and assisting in mitigating any potential damages. In addition, securing Environmental insurance protection is a critical component in a property owner's risk management program. Be sure that this must-needed coverage is an integral part of an insurance plan, with additional policies and/or enhancements added as needed, depending on the operation and its risks.

 

Remember, even with a pristine property, events taking place on, around, or even deep beneath it may produce problems in the future. 

 

Read the full article here 

Spotlight On: US Green Building Council

and LEED Certification 

 

In 1993, Rick Fedrizzi, David Gottfried and Mike Italiano established the U.S. Green Building Council.

Now in its 20th year, USGBC's constituency includes builders and environmentalists, corporations and nonprofits, elected officials and concerned citizens, and teachers and students. USGBC currently boasts 77 chapters, 13,000 member companies and organizations. AGPOM is proud to be an USGBC Member.

 

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. USGBC works toward its mission of market transformation through its LEED green building program, robust educational offerings, a nationwide network of chapters and affiliates, the annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, and advocacy in support of public policy that encourages and enables green buildings and communities.

 

About LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)

Since its unveiling in March 2000, the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building certification system is the most widely recognized and widely used green building program across the globe. LEED is a certification program for buildings, homes and communities that guides the design, construction, operations and maintenance.

 

At its core, LEED is a program that provides third-party verification of green buildings. Building projects satisfy prerequisites and earn points to achieve different levels of certification. Prerequisites and credits differ for each rating system, and teams choose the best fit for the project.

 

Learn more about LEED, the facts, and the LEED rating systems.

 

 

LEED Ratings based on construction type:

 

LEED for New Construction and Major Renovations

LEED for Existing Buildings: Limited Construction

LEED for Retail

LEED for Retail New Construction and Major Renovations

LEED for Commercial Interiors

LEED for Core and Shell Construction

LEED for Homes

LEED for Healthcare

 

 

What can LEED offer your property?

  • Lower operating costs & increased asset value
  • Energy, water and other resource conservation
  • Healthier and safer buildings for occupants
  • Money-saving incentives, like tax rebates and zoning allowances

In addition, if you have a property that is LEED Certified it automatically qualifies your company for a Level III AGPOM Membership which equates to increased recognition and lower insurance premiums.   

  

Learn more about the USGBC here.

   

 
Eco Tip: Setting Sustainable Business Goals for 2014
  
Setting Sustainability Goals 'Improves Bottom Line'
  
Firms that set tangible, public sustainability goals improve their financial and environmental performance, according to a white paper released in July this year by CH2M Hill.
  
Sustainability Goals that Make an Impact says as companies work to meet their goals, they cut energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption and waste - all of which result in cost savings and boost the bottom line and can result in increased employee satisfaction and productivity.     
  
Source: CH2M Hill
While firms with goals are four to five times more likely to improve their performance compared to those with none, firms with three to four goals show the best performance improvement (see chart), the paper says. CH2M Hill says this is because three to four goals drive companies to improve without diverting resources in too many directions, which can hurt progress.
  
Additionally, companies that have set five goals typically already achieved easier-to-reach goals, the paper says, and are now working toward goals that require more time and resources to achieve, such as net zero waste.
  
Sustainability goals send a positive message to shareholders, too, the paper says. CH2M Hill research found that when companies don't publicly disclose their goals, they face more shareholder resolutions intended to assess how the company will address risk. They're also more likely to face stakeholder opposition to capital-intensive projects and business expansion.
  
PricewaterhouseCoopers' latest survey, also released earlier this year, found firms are putting greater emphasis on efforts to drive financial savings and build a competitive advantage in the market by being more ecologically efficient and reducing their environmental impact. The survey results coincide with a PwC report that offers ideas for companies considering eco-efficiency strategies.
  
Read the full article by Environmental Leader here 

 

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Our mission is to build awareness and stimulate use of green building practices and other risk mitigation techniques in order to increase the security and profitability of property owners and managers nationwide. 


Our vision is to become a recognized leader within the green movement known for helping members realize untapped value using the connection between sustainability and risk management.
  
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