Welcome to the IFMA NJ Sustainability Corner. Our objective is to provide our members with relevant and useful information, tools and knowledge while, on a broader basis, help develop a better understanding of sustainability, it's component aspects, the issues to be addressed in establishing a successful sustainability program and the measurement and reporting of program results. We will also cover the potential scope of a comprehensive energy/carbon program, the challenges and realities of competing initiatives for funding resources, and the methods necessary to achieve successful results.

The main subsections of the Sustainability Corner will be flexible in nature, evolving as necessary to remain relevant and timely. The current subsections are as follows;

• Sustainability
• Overview
• Sustainability Economics
• Energy Planning and Management
• Sustainable Development
• Metrics, Measurement and Verification
• Awareness/Communication
• Incentives/Credits Best Practices Tools

For more information on Sustainabilty, please visit the following:
• ASHRAE Advanced Energy Design Guide for Small to Medium Office Buildings: 50% Energy Savings Towards Net Zero Enery Building is now available for download.

• APPA's sustainability guide for academic campuses, The Educational Professional's Practical Guide to Reducing the Campus Carbon Footprint, is now available for free download.

•  Info re: new ISO 50001:2001 is now available for free download. "The purpose of this International Standard is to enable organizations to establish the systems and processes necessary to improve energy performance, including energy effciency, use and consumption."

•  The FMJ July/August issue is all about sustainability. The cover story gives a different perspective on sustainability lables; the issue also covers the basics from a water audit to carbon foot printing, from cool roofs and photovoltaic to LED lighting and energy efficiencies, and from the convention centers to shopping centers.

•  The IFMA Foundation's Energy Star Portfolio Manager 'How-to' Guide has been updated and is now available for free download. Don't forget, you will need to log in to the IFMA Community website before you can access this guide. While you are there, subscribe to the Sustainability Special Interest Group forum.

We will look to update the Sustainability Corner content on a regular basis, and certainly seek input from our members regarding information, best practices, etc. that they would like to share with fellow members.