Is Your Lease An Obstacle To Building Performance Requirements and ESG Goals?
Building Performance Standards (BPS) – which set performance or emissions standards that buildings must meet over time – have completely changed the regulatory context for existing buildings. Colliding with this new regulatory framework is the steadily increasing focus on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) metrics and reporting frameworks. In this new landscape, lease language should be a key part of every risk management, compliance, and ESG strategy.
Electrification: A New Value-Add Approach to Avoid Common Costly Pitfalls
As businesses strive for ambitious emissions reductions, electrification has become crucial in supporting corporate climate efforts and helping companies adhere to tightening mandates. For the building sector, this means replacing traditional fossil fuel-burning equipment with electric alternatives, which offers an effective means to reduce operational carbon emissions.
Energy Efficient Commercial Building Tax Deduction 179D: What Owners Need to Know
The energy efficient commercial building tax deduction (IRS 179D) is a simple way for building owners to make the most of their investment in high-performance real estate. Here, we review what the 179D tax deduction is, what the application process entails, and how to get started.
Stok Makes Inc. Magazine’s 2023 Best Workplaces List
Stok has been named to Inc. magazine’s annual Best Workplaces list! The list is the result of a comprehensive measurement of American companies that have excelled in creating exceptional workplaces and company culture, whether operating in a physical, virtual, or hybrid capacity.
M&V, MBCx, WTF: Building Performance Monitoring as a Means to Achieve Decarbonization Goals
We’re all too familiar with the headlines from states, countries, and corporations announcing their zero carbon targets; however, there’s confusion and vagueness surrounding what the target means and how it will be achieved. As building owners and occupiers adopt zero commitments and find their properties subject to energy performance and emissions regulations, the question becomes, ‘how can we achieve these ambitious reduction targets?’
Accounting For Methane: A Look at the Evolving Greenhouse Gas Emissions Landscape
Mitigating emissions and removing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere have long been the focus of climate action efforts; however, little attention has been paid to another greenhouse gas with an immediate and potent impact on climate change: methane (CH4). Discussion around the climate change contribution of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) such as methane, and the importance of prioritizing SLCPs in decarbonization efforts has become an increasing topic of discussion among climate scientists and companies alike.
Curiosity: Because Sometimes the Value is in the Question
In this installment of Wit and Wisdom for Well-Being, we bring you: curiosity. If you’ve ever had a conversation with a 3-year-old, you have likely been through the scenario of being asked “why?” over and over (and over) again. While this can be frustrating for some and it’s unlikely that a 3-year-old can truly understand the complexities behind some of the answers to their questions, it doesn’t mean that we can’t learn something from these engaging little toddlers. That lesson is the importance of curiosity.
Five Carbon Trends in 2023
As outlined in the latest IPCC synthesis report, decarbonization is more than just a critical priority in 2023—it’s key to securing a sustainable future, and our actions in the next few years to mitigate and draw down emissions will be pivotal. Thankfully, climate action on the policy and business agenda continues to gain momentum, with several key areas of focus on the immediate horizon.
California Embodied Carbon Law: How to Prepare for AB 2446
Some exciting news coming out of California means big things for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the building sector. With 25% of the state’s emissions resulting from buildings, the passage of AB 2446 into law, which targets embodied carbon reduction of building materials, is a significant step towards addressing climate change.
Stok Conducts Evolution of Workplace Survey and Shares Findings in New Report
Sustainability and high-performance building services provider Stok has published a new report to guide real estate and workplace professionals and business leaders in enhancing the employee experience and optimizing the value of office real estate. “High-Performance Buildings and the Evolution of the Workplace: Insights for a People-First Approach,” utilizes findings from a perception survey of industry leaders to offer clarity on where to focus investments to most positively impact employee productivity, retention, and well-being in this next era of the workplace.