Industry Standards
Barclays Capital launches Global Carbon Index
LONDON – Barclays Capital, the investment banking division of Barclays Bank PLC, has launched the Barclays Capital Global Carbon Index (BGCI). The BGCI tracks the performance of carbon credits associated with the world’s major greenhouse gas emissions trading schemes.
This is the first time that such an index has been made available to asset managers, private banks, and institutional investors looking for a comprehensive benchmark for the rapidly growing carbon emissions markets. The index is governed by the Barclays Capital Environmental Markets Index Committee, a newly formed independent body comprising representatives from the carbon industry and members of the institutional investment community. The Committee has been mandated to provide oversight to the development of the BGCI.
The BGCI initially comprises a combination of two sub-indices which track the performance of the carbon credits associated with the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU Allowances) and the Kyoto Clean Development Mechanism (Certified Emission Reductions). The Index will incorporate new schemes as they develop around the world.
Barclays Capital will provide support and analytics for these indices via Barclays Capital’s index website and other e-commerce channels, including Bloomberg. The indices are calculated daily and use standard settlement prices and market calendars most appropriate for international investors. Complete index rules are available in Barclays Capital’s new Barclays Capital Global Carbon Index Guide. For more information, see www.barcap.com
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LEED templates available online
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Improved submittal templates are now available for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance (LEED-EB: O&M) in LEED Online, according to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The new submittal templates reportedly streamline the LEED certification process in several ways:
- Provide clearer instructions on required documentation, including explicit guidance for multi-tenant buildings;
- Offer several documentation options for many credits;
- Exempt project teams from certain submittals if appropriate;
- Document exemplary performance points within the credits they are based on;
- Pre-screen credits for a valid performance period;
- Collect generic project data together in a new “general submittal” template.
Projects currently registered under LEED for Existing Buildings v2.0 are encouraged, but not required, to upgrade to the new version. LEED for Existing Buildings: O&M has been reengineered to provide a clear focus on the operations and maintenance of owner-occupied and multi-tenant commercial buildings. The templates are available at www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1844.
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Rating the systems
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The American Institute of Architects has rated the raters, in their new document, Quantifying Sustainability: A Study of Three Sustainable Building Systems and the AIA Position Statement.
The report looks at Green Globes, SBTool 07, and LEED NC 2.2 and assesses their effectiveness in supporting the goals of the AIA sustainability position statement. The study’s key findings are:
- Green Building Initiative’s Green Globes offers a broad based evaluation of projects in both the design process and based on environmental criteria. When used to certify a project, more stringent and specific requirements in the areas of energy reduction and operational performance are needed, as these are the two areas that most influence carbon production.
- U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED NC 2.2 system provides a measurement of environmental achievement. Continued developments in life cycle assessment, requirements for renewable energy, or carbon reduction targets for certified projects will continue to make this system an effective resource for architects.
- International Initiative for a Sustainable Built Environment’s SBTool 07 is a toolkit for designing a rating system. If used as a rating system providing certification, SBTool 07 would be stronger if there was an increase in the number of “required” items vs. those that are simply “encouraged” and required project documentation. Specific requirements in the areas of energy reduction and operational performance would supply any rating system approach that comes out of SBTool 07 with performance-based requirements necessary for reaching carbon reduction goals.
For more information, see www.aia.org/SiteObjects/
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Registry finalizes reporting protocol
LOS ANGELES – The Climate Registry has finalized its General Reporting Protocol, which gives guidance on how to inventory greenhouse gas emissions for participation in the Registry.
When organizations become Reporters, they agree to register their greenhouse gas emissions for all operations in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and are encouraged to report worldwide. For more information, see www.theclimateregistry.org/downloads/GRP.pdf
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BOMA announces Energy Performance Contract Model
DENVER, Colo. — The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International and the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) have announced a BOMA Energy Performance Contract Model to allow building owners to perform major energy retrofits to the existing building marketplace by removing key barriers and providing a turnkey solution.
Specifically, the BOMA Energy Performance Contract Model provides a standardized energy performance contract, similar to the American Institute of Architects construction contract terms, whereby key legal and technical provisions have been vetted by top real estate companies, energy service companies as well as BOMA legal council and experts and CCI. Coupled with other standard documents, FAQs and case studies, real estate professionals are now provided with a new solution for how to improve performance and value.
As part of the Model, BOMA, CCI and USAA Real Estate Company (USAA) generated an energy efficiency pilot project in the commercial sector that addresses key issues confronted by building owners looking to improve financial performance and reduce their company’s carbon footprint. USAA provided two buildings for the pilot project to help develop and refine an energy efficiency building retrofit model to reduce barriers, particularly time and complexity, of such projects. For more information, see www.boma.org/AboutBOMA/pressroom/press062408.htm
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Furniture rating system afoot
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. & ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA) and NSF International have released the BIFMA E3-2008 Business and Institutional Furniture Sustainability Standard for public comment.
The standard takes a holistic approach to evaluating furniture sustainability considering materials and use of natural resources, energy, renewable energy, greenhouse gas emissions, human and eco-system health, material toxicity, and social responsibility. It is modeled after the LEED building rating system. For more information, see bifma.org/news/newsrelease.pdfs/SAS_News_Release.pdf
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Another furniture rating system takes hold
EMERYVILLE, Calif. – Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) announces that five manufacturers have earned certification under its under its SCS Sustainable Choice label for furniture.
The five manufacturers are: Allsteel, Gunlocke, The Hon Company, Kimball Office, and National Office Furniture. For more information, see www.scscertified.com
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Time for green cleaning
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In response to the demand for basic prequalifying information about GS-42 Certification, Green Seal has provided a checklist for cleaning service providers - both in-house and outsourced – to help determine their readiness to apply for GS-42 Certification.
Though the GS-42 standard includes scope, definition of terms, and other information, the checklist below outlines major requirements - starting with section 3.0 - of the GS-42 standard which can be downloaded in full from the Green Seal Web site at: www.greenseal.org/certification/cleaning_services_gs_42.pdf
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