I think we should rephrase the discussion. We say we are reaching a critical tipping point with regard to our ability to “save the environment.” But I think it might be more realistic to frame it as saving the people. There’s no doubt that the earth will survive – perhaps in a considerably different mode. The question is whether humans and the biosphere we know and love will survive.
It’s easy to think that government is where the leadership in the battle against environmental degradation and overuse should come from. After all isn’t the government’s primary responsibility to protect the people? But governments take cues from disparate influences and at least in national American politics those influences currently seem to be more animated by rolling back prior EPA regulations that were designed to protect and preserve than by enforcing them. Many states and local governments are doing a better job than the federal government, but now we have the spectacle of the U.S. government suing the state of California for having stricter air quality standards than the national ones, and for negotiating higher mileage standards with the auto industry.
So if government is unlikely to act expeditiously even when the entire science community keeps saying time is running out, the question becomes who will stand up and do the right things. Individuals will of course and as we see with recent demonstrations by young people around the globe, consensus is growing and the crowds are getting larger and louder…so maybe governments will eventually get the message. But will it be too little too late?
We all have to look inside and ask ourselves if we’re committed to doing what we know is the right thing to the best of our ability. The world of architecture and interior design has a tremendous contribution to make in terms of making our buildings and cities part of the solution rather than part of the problem. Organizations like USGBC and ILFI provide education and roadmaps to inform, as well as third party certification processes to warrant that we’re actually getting what we think we’re getting when we say a project is limiting the harm its doing.
From the USGBC website: “We believe that knowledge and opportunities for action are the tools to drive true transformation. Wherever you are in your journey, USGBC supports your learning through a variety of education opportunities and resources.” Check it out.
From the ILFI Website: “You can create buildings that generate more energy than they use, capture and treat all water on site, and are made using healthy materials. The Living Building Challenge framework will help you to create spaces that reconnect occupants with nature.” Check it out.
There are also valuable tools to help turn a willing intention into positive action on the supplier side in our industry. The BIFMA Level program offers an excellent path to reducing a company’s environmental impacts and improving its social contributions. From BIFMA’s Levelcertified.org website: “LEVEL was created to deliver the most open and transparent means of evaluating and communicating the environmental and social impacts of furniture products in the built environment. To put it simply, LEVEL is to commercial furniture as LEED is to buildings. Also like LEED, LEVEL is comprehensive. It addresses criteria across corporate, facility and product impacts in a way that few other certifications do. Check it out.
A cornerstone of American culture is that businesses can and should lead the way in providing a better life for us all. Certainly, businesses are the leaders in developing the new technologies and systems that are rapidly changing our way of life. And our industry is well positioned to lead the charge. We are, by-and-large, an industry of privately held companies free from the demands of the stock market to grow profits quarterly. Of course, we must be profitable to sustain our businesses, but we also have the space and the freedom to exercise our better instincts with regard to our people, our communities and the world as a whole.
At the corporate level I know of no better roadmap to guide our actions and to communicate positive intention that to become a B Corporation.
According to the description on its website, “Certified B Corporations are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. B Corps are accelerating a global culture shift to redefine success in business and build a more inclusive and sustainable economy.
Society’s most challenging problems cannot be solved by government and nonprofits alone. The B Corp community works toward reduced inequality, lower levels of poverty, a healthier environment, stronger communities, and the creation of more high-quality jobs with dignity and purpose. By harnessing the power of business, B Corps use profits and growth as a means to a greater end: positive impact for their employees, communities, and the environment.
B Corps form a community of leaders and drive a global movement of people using business as a force for good. The values and aspirations of the B Corp community are embedded in the B Corp Declaration of Interdependence. Check it out.
One of the things I like about the B Corp proposition is that you don’t have to be big to be one – although, if you are is big they’ll still have you. And you don’t have to be an industrial company. In a short time on the B Corp site I found examples of every kind of organization from design firms to law firms; Patagonia to an electric tractor start-up. Exactly the kind of inclusivity needed to guide activity across all commercial enterprises and give voice to the growing consensus.
I could only find two manufacturing companies from our industry: Carnegie Fabrics and Fireclay Tile. If your company is already a certified B Corp and I missed you please accept my apology and let me know. Because next week I plan to devote an article to discussing Carnegie, Fireclay Tile and anyone from our industry that can discuss how they became a B Corp and what it has meant to their business. For inspiration, here are a few examples of organizations that have started down the path.
AE Works’ value proposition creates designs for buildings, spaces, and systems leveraging the interdependence of people, planet, and profit. A team of professionals contribute their craft and creativity, their humility, and their desire for a better world in everyday activities. Drawing inspiration from continuously learning the opportunities a challenged world provides, AE Works’ designs aspire to our reason for existing. The company is incorporating sustainable design into historic landmarks, working to enhance healing environments and meeting design challenges of 24/7 infrastructure requirements to create environments that enable people to do what they do best so they can aspire to their full potential. The dedication to our cause has generated a growing company of thirty-two in three offices working across the Mid-Atlantic region.
Carnegie is a creative organization dedicated to the development of interior textiles and wall finishes for the architectural and design community. Their research and design efforts focus on sustainable textile and wall solutions for the commercial building market. These materials must always offer a seamless combination of beauty, performance and sustainable manufacturing.
From their creative studio in New York City, their team of textile researchers and designers constantly study the latest technologies and strive to match the needs of their design clients. Lasting performance is a fixed requirement for their client’s buildings which vary from offices to hotels, hospitals to schools. They have been able to meet those requirements while introducing ground breaking sustainable technologies.
Carnegie has always been about achieving design excellence but being cognizant of the safety and environmental impact of their products. They have been dedicated to being a PVC free company for more than 30 years, and remain the only self-declared company in our industry today. They were studying the impact of the materials they were developing before it was part of the industry’s vocabulary.
Patagonia, Inc.’s values reflect those of a business started by a band of climbers and surfers, and the minimalist style they promoted. The approach they take toward product design demonstrates a bias for simplicity and utility.
Build the best productTheir criteria for the best product rests on function, repairability, and, foremost, durability. Among the most direct ways they can limit ecological impacts is with goods that last for generations or can be recycled so the materials in them remain in use. Making the best product matters for saving the planet.
Cause no unnecessary harmThey know that their business activity—from lighting stores to dyeing shirts—is part of the problem. They work steadily to change their business practices and share what they’ve learned. But they recognize that this is not enough. They seek not only to do less harm, but more good.
Use business to protect natureThe challenges faced as a society require leadership. Once they identify a problem, they act. They embrace risk and act to protect and restore the stability, integrity and beauty of the web of life.
Not bound by conventionTheir success—and much of the fun—lies in developing new ways to do things.
Solectrac manufactures two models of 100% battery-powered electric tractors for agriculture and utility use: the eFarmer and the eUtility. Solectrac’s electric tractors eliminate GHG emissions and particulates, reduce noise, use eight times less energy and require ten times less maintenance compared to their diesel counterparts. We help farmers and food producers reduce their carbon footprint, reduce harm to soil and human health caused by diesel engine use, and support regenerative agriculture and carbon sequestration initiatives. Solectrac’s powerful, quiet, zero emissions tractors can be powered by renewable energy, and are ready to replace diesel tractors in the 40-horsepower and under market segment.
stōk partners with clients to reduce the cost of building operations and increase the value of real property.