|
In 2023, corporates reported that their Scope 3 supply chain emissions were, on average, 26 times greater than their emissions from direct operations (Scopes 1 and 2). According to the new Scope 3 Upstream: Big Challenges, Simple Remedies report published recently by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and CDP, upstream emissions from the manufacturing, retail and materials sectors had a footprint 1.4 times the total CO2 emitted in the EU in 2022.
However, supply chain emissions continue to be overlooked, with corporates twice as likely to measure operational emissions (Scopes 1 and 2) than their supply chain emissions (Scope 3). Furthermore, corporates are 2.4x more likely to set targets for operational emissions compared with supply chain emissions. Of the corporates disclosing to CDP, only 15% have set a Scope 3 target. Disclosed upstream emissions from just the manufacturing, retail, and materials sectors in 2023 alone imply a carbon liability of over $335 billion. This liability is at risk of being overlooked by both corporates and investors. The report identifies the three most significant factors that correlate with ambition and action on Scope 3 upstream emissions: 1) Climate-responsible board; 2) Supplier engagement programs; 3) Adoption of internal carbon pricing.
Read more . . .
| | |
|
|
The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) has launched a platform to connect facilities managers and other buildings specifiers with the people and products they need to realize their interior build-out and renovation projects. Whether you are searching for your next interior designer or firm, product and material supplier, builder, or simply for inspiration, DesignFinder by ASID connects you to the resources you need no matter your project size or type.
Hiring the right interior design partner as early as possible for your project will help you to transform your interior environment into a place that supports your needs and connects you to the resources you need to materialize your ideas, notes ASID. Source ASID-qualified interior design practitioners and members who will be dedicated to your project’s success, and the latest products and resources from ASID’s Industry Partners.
ASID also encourages the design community to join ASID, and product/resource suppliers to subscribe to Design Finder.
Read more . . .
| |
|
by Danine Alati — Rooted in human-centric design, OM Seating is redefining ergonomic seating with products like OM5, Plot Twist, and Werksy — blending enhanced style and comfort to meet the demands of modern work environments.
“We think about people first,” attests Wilson Chow, CEO and president of OM Seating. “We are always striving to find better ways to design and build seating solutions that support people wherever they’re working — whether that is with traditional task seating, or for a modern-day, WFH-driven community space. We want to provide seating for all kinds of working environments — everywhere and every way people work. We truly listen to our customers: We ask, how do people actually sit — not how we think they should sit. Then we design seating that intuitively adapts to as many of these scenarios as we can.”
The evolved OM5 and Innovation Awards
Designed by Phidesign Studio, the reimagined OM5 Series offers an updated version of the task chair that redefined the company more than 10 years ago. Capturing the attention of the 2024 Best of NeoCon jurors for its distinct ingenuity and functionality, OM5 earned an Innovation Award in the Seating: Conference category. “We never feel that we’re entirely finished with any design. We’re always finding areas for improvements and refinements, even during the initial design phases for new products,” Chow explains. “So with the OM5, already a successful chair when it first launched, we are revisiting it. Why? We thought of features that would make it even better!”
Read more . . .
| | |
|
|
Global building technology society ASHRAE has launched a new resource to help data center design and operations professionals maintain optimal temperature and humidity levels in data centers, where servers and other computing equipment generate significant amounts of heat. This hub provides the latest standards, guidelines and best practices to remain compliant and enhance sustainability.
The Data Center Resource Page offers a comprehensive range of technical materials, including publications, standards, guidelines and research papers, all developed by ASHRAE’s renowned experts. These resources address various aspects of data center design and operation, such as cooling, power distribution, energy efficiency and thermal management, to empower professionals to optimize data center performance and make informed decisions.
"With the rapid growth of digital infrastructure, the demand for cloud computing, AI and big data continues to soar," said 2024-25 ASHRAE President M. Dennis Knight, P.E., BEMP, Fellow Life Member ASHRAE. "Efficient cooling systems are essential to cutting operational costs and reducing environmental impact."
Read more . . .
| |
|
by Eileen McMorrow — The Leadership Summit for NextUp is just a month away and promises many opportunities for women in facility management, real estate, design and architecture to explore how another community of support outside the existing industry conferences can be career enhancers.
NextUp helps members build skills like advocating for themselves, inclusive leadership, and bridging divides on complex topics like DEI. “A person may have many strengths in facility management, but still not have the negotiation skills that we can help them bring to the workplace. We help professionals manage across the life spectrum,” says Danit Schleman, VP, Strategic Value/Regions and Development, NextUp. “We are following the energy and providing key learnings for addressing burnout.”
“NextUp is not just for women,” declares Beth Fasching, director of Strategic Partnerships & Business Development, NextUp. The organization is unique in also helping male leaders amplify their emotional and social skills to become better allies to women and to learn how to support to women and other under-represented groups in the workplace. “Facility management is an industry, a work environment that (originally) was not created with women in mind, so additional support is needed to attract and retain women,” adds Fasching. NextUp’s participation in the NFMT Women in FM session on inclusive leadership in Baltimore this past March as a forum for women and men to explore issues impacting women is an example she cites.
Read more . . .
| |
|
Projects are creating new demands to meet management and worker expectations. Versteel recognizes this and is designing features into furniture to meet client requests, according to Scott Schwinghammer, president. He recently met with Eileen McMorrow to discuss changes in client expectations, the office, and best options to respond to change with contract products that are making their mark.
How does "Our Niche is You" connect to Versteel’s next product launch?
Schwinghammer: We will be introducing a family of products in 2025 that represents a forward-looking collection encompassing what we already offer with work, meeting and lounge tables that contribute to a multi-functional setting. The products will work together or apart. They will create shared or private work areas, storage, and space division. One of our newest design groups decided this could work because we are all uncertain as to how we are going to work in the near future. Management may change to hybrid working or more private offices using more dividers. There’s a need for furniture that can be used in a private office or moved out to function in an open space or work area. We are adapting and positioning it differently.
Read more . . .
| |
|
The International Association of Airport Executives (IAAE), the international arm of the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), announced the launch of its Competency Building Services (CBS) program, a new initiative offered globally to airport enterprises, in partnership with the Aviation Strategies International Institute (ASI-I).
The Competency Building Services program addresses organization-specific competency development of airport enterprises in the context of the challenges posed by the anticipated global traffic growth and industry turbulence. The services comprise managerial competency gap analysis using the global Airport Management Competency Assessment Test (AMCAT), delivery of customized competency-based workshops, courses and certificates in response to priority needs of enterprises, as well as best practices implementation coaching.
Read more . . .
| |
|
Programming and events at CERSAIE, the International Exhibition of Ceramic Tile and Bathroom Furnishings, are shaping up quickly. CERSAIE will take place in Bologna, Italy, the heart of the Italian ceramics industry, September 23-27, 2024. With over 600 international exhibitors, trade professionals at this year’s show can expect to see thousands of debut tile products that offer new design possibilities. See below for an outline of the benefits ceramic and porcelain tile offer to healthcare, education, government and commercial spaces.
CERSAIE features renowned architects:
Educational programming includes:
Learn more at CERSAIE or register here to attend.
Read more . . .
| |
|
Davis Furniture had quite a NeoCon in 2024. Bringing to market a range of products — and entering into the Best of NeoCon Awards competition not one, not two, but a whopping 12 furniture introductions — Davis took home an impressive seven awards. What was it about these new products that resonated so much with the Best of NeoCon jurors?
After consulting with the teams that judged Davis’ submissions, it’s clear why some of these newly debuted offerings created such a splash and made Davis one of the companies to earn the most awards in the 2024 competition. Read on to see how these Davis products demonstrate quality craftsmanship, durability, supreme functionality, and exceptional aesthetics to distinguish themselves among the sea of new product offerings at this year’s NeoCon.
Vida Shelving earned a Silver Award in the Storage category
Davis made history when it first partnered with German designer Hanne Willmann on the Vida Table collection in 2023 because it was the first time in the company’s history that it worked with a female industrial designer. Their partnership proved so successful that they decided to expand the line with the well-received Vida Shelving Series.
With its refined blend of soft geometry and high-quality materials, Vida Shelving shines as a modern showpiece, yet its two height options (a three-shelf and five-shelf version), its solid steel structure (available in all of Davis’ powder coat finishes), and shelves in ash, oak and walnut veneers and Fenix Innovative Materials with a reverse bevel edge make this gorgeous piece also highly functional.
Read more . . .
| |
|
The Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN²), a $50 million clean technology program funded by the Wells Fargo Foundation and co-administered by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), announced that it has selected 10 organizations to participate in the inaugural cohort of the Scalable Tech Track program for cleantech adoption. NREL and Wells Fargo founded IN² in August 2014 with an initial focus on commercializing solutions that reduce the energy impact of commercial buildings.
IN² is launching the Scalable Tech Track in collaboration with Overlay Build to address demand-side market barriers and increase widespread adoption of cleantech solutions. The Scalable Tech Track supports both corporations and communities in the pursuit of sustainability goals by providing practical implementation guidance and access to validated technologies. IN² will assist participants with a comprehensive approach to cleantech adoption that includes identifying pain points, providing third-party validation from NREL, fostering collaborative peer working groups, and building clearer pathways for implementation, while prioritizing equity and environmental justice.
Read more . . .
| |
|
This week's Featured Book from FMLink Books is part of a collection of peer-reviewed books curated by the FMLink editorial team to provide facilities, engineering and A&D professionals with access to publications relating to the Green Building topic.
Solar Energy: Technologies and Project Delivery for Buildings will show you what you need to do to include solar design in the engineering process and enable faster demand for solar energy systems in building projects. This is a perfect guide for engineers, architects, and anyone else involved in the design process of buildings that use solar energy. The book includes such chapters as:
- Delivering Solar Energy Projects
- The Solar Energy Resource
- Photovoltaics (PV, Solar Electricity)
- Solar Water Hearing
- Solar Ventilation Air Preheating
- Solar Space Heating and Cooling
- Case Studies of Solar Buildings
This and other Green Building titles are available for purchase on FMLink.
| | | | |
