Championing the
Changemakers

We're now mid-way through Summer Summit season! One of the “good problem to have” challenges we’ve had at recent SDL Summits has been too many great five-minute presentations. It’s hard to find time for them all. This year, since we’ll be online anyway, we can get a jump on that by starting the five-minute presentations early in addition to... Read more

As part of my goal to increase staff education frequency, I'd like to introduce some training and certificate programs into the mix. I wonder what programs others have recommended to staff? Not just attending conferences (low accountability) or CEUs, but things like the Parsons Healthy Materials Certificate, or Phius/PHN passive house... Read more

Hi All,

The SMEPL's Embodied Carbon committee has been hard at work developing a letter that calls for MEP equipment vendors to increase material transparency in their products.  As a way of contacting the most widely-used vendors first, we're asking each of you to enter your "Top 3" specified vendors for each of the products listed in... Read more

Hi folks,

As you've no doubt heard from us by now (several times), in lieu of Summer Summits this year we're offering a combination of events this fall. Our series kicked off last week with a great Regional Mini-Summit in Boston. Regional events like this were in our plans before COVID blew everything up, so this one was a long-time... Read more

Hello Green Gurus,

Here is the information for January's Peer Networks Webinar, The AEC Industry is in the Driver's Seat: Strategies to reduce waste & carbon emissions. We hope you will join us!

Register HERE

The AEC Industry is in the Driver's Seat: Strategies to reduce waste & carbon emissions
Thursday,... Read more

Hi everyone,

Will you be attending the Living Future 2023 conference, or do you live near the DC area?

If so, you’re invited to join us for an informal meetup!

When: Wednesday May 3, 2023, 7:30-9pm ET

Where: SmithGroup, 1700 New York Avenue, NW, Suite 100, Washington DC

If you plan on coming, please be sure to... Read more

Check out Fast Company's new list of innovative architecture firms with Perkins + Will and NBBJ at the top with great sustainability tag lines. 

That's a great demonstration of the mainstream importance of sustainability!

Congrats to all.

Here's the link: https://www.fastcompany.com/most-innovative-companies/2018/sectors/... Read more

Pierce Quéry, Roving Reporter

We are having trouble sourcing a LEED compliant wallcovering adhesive. We specified Roman Pro-880 which is low VOC but doesn't have sufficient back up for TVOCs. Have you had success with other products?

Greetings from the CARE Tool Team,

We are thrilled to update you on the successful soft launch of the CARE Tool last week at Greenbuild! The online beta was unveiled at a reception hosted by EHDD, AIA COTE, and Architecture 2030 to 300+ people, where attendees got the chance to learn about and explore the tool in a demo room. We... Read more

Learning Objectives:

Explore the relationship between smart buildings and cybersecurity through their shared history.

Clarify the difference between OT and information technology (“IT”) cybersecurity including the protocols that drive OT cybersecurity programs.

Provide recent examples of critical attacks on building... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of Community-Scale Sustainability: Accelerating Change for People and Planet

Learning Objectives
Upon completing this course, participants will be able to:


Explain how combining stakeholder efforts and resources can achieve greater resilience and sustainability for communities.

Discuss... Read more

Hardware has to be durable and resist weathering to ensure that features such as doors function properly.

BuildingGreen-Approved Hardware

BuildingGreen approves hardware that uses post-consumer recycled metal content beyond what is standard in the industry. Products from manufacturers that have engaged in information transparency... Read more

A brief non-technical rant about OneClick LCA - from someone who is not actually USING the tool, but lobbying for its access.  Wondering if you all have better intel, or if it is just me.

We are working on a number of projects for which te teams are using OneClick LCA - for some cases it has a better international data set than others. ... Read more

I received this email from Cathy Higgins at NBI, and thought some of you may know the right folks who might be interested:
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Hi colleagues,

You are exactly the folks that might know a high-caliber person to join NBI’s team. We are looking for someone ideally based in California but could be elsewhere with... Read more

As promised at the SDL Summer Summet: Hennepin County Energy & Environment's new Project Manager’s Guide to Material Reuse in Commercial Buildings, with specification language, guidance for procurement, and case studies of successful reuse projects around the country. This resource is meant to help owners, architects, and contractors... Read more

Will any SDL folks be at AASHE in Pittsburgh next week? Would love to grab a coffee and catch up.