The Problem with Greenwashing: Why Businesses Need Accurate Grades
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The document discusses the issue of greenwashing in the context of buildings, emphasizing the need for accurate energy consumption metrics to fairly evaluate the environmental impact of buildings. It argues for the implementation of building energy grades to motivate improvements, create jobs, and reduce CO2 emissions, while also revealing the discrepancies between high and low-performing buildings. The key recommendations include grading buildings, disclosing energy consumption, and encouraging transparency in environmental claims to foster innovation and private investment.
The Problem with Greenwashing: Why Businesses Need Accurate Grades
- 1. The Problem with Greenwashing Why Businesses Need Accurate Metrics to Create Jobs and Wealth 2010 Behavior, Energy and Climate Change Conference Elton B. Sherwin November 16, 2010
- 2. Greenwashing Marketing that promotes a misleading perception that something is environmentally friendly Sometimes deliberate, but often caused by inaccurate standards or missing measurements
- 3. Problem with Greenwashing Cream doesn’t rise to the top Best buildings/products undervalued Top performers invisible Poor performers praised Wrong behaviors encouraged Money is wasted Innovation is stifled Undermines morale
- 6. Performance of LEED Buildings With Poorest Performers Removed HUGE Variation NBI LEED for new construction, title and conclusion are the authors
- 7. Focus on Buildings Aim today is to convince you: 1. Buildings matter: jobs and the environment 2. Disclose energy consumption of all buildings claiming to be green 3. Buildings need grades
- 8. Recap of Situation in California
- 9. SOURCE: Inundation data from Knowles, 2008. Additional salt pond elevation data by Siegel and Bachand, 2002. Aerial imagery is NAIP 2005 data. http://www.bcdc.ca.gov/planning/climate_change/climate_change.shtml 16 Inches of Sea Rise San Jose San Francisco Vallejo San Rafael Oakland
- 10. SOURCE: Inundation data from Knowles, 2008. Additional salt pond elevation data by Siegel and Bachand, 2002. Aerial imagery is NAIP 2005 data. BCDC.gov Foster City East Palo AltoMenlo Park 16 Inches of Sea Rise Silicon Valley
- 11. SOURCE: Inundation data from Knowles, 2008. Additional salt pond elevation data by Siegel and Bachand, 2002. Aerial imagery is NAIP 2005 data. BCDC.gov Moffett Field 237 Sun, Google, and, Cisco all at risk
- 12. July Temperatures 2009 California Climate Adaptation Strategy www.climatechange.ca.gov/adaptation California’s agricultural regions will be hard hit
- 13. Midcentury Increase of 5 Degrees Fahrenheit 2009 California Climate Adaptation Strategy www.climatechange.ca.gov/adaptation 5+
- 14. Could See Increases of 10 to 14 Degree Fahrenheit in Central Valley* 2009 California Climate Adaptation Strategy *“Emissions pathways, climate change, and impacts on California” Christopher B. Field and 17 coauthors, June 23, 2004, PNAS 10+
- 15. Smaller snowpack More water shortages Less water for agriculture “Emissions pathways, climate change, and impacts on California” Christopher B. Field and 17 coauthors, June 23, 2004, PNAS
- 16. Heat Waves in Los Angeles Basin Will Be Much More Frequent Dan Steinberg, Associated Press
- 17. What is the Largest Source of CO2 in America? More than all cars, trucks and planes added together?
- 18. Buildings
- 19. Building energy consumption is almost 40% of U.S. CO2 emissions* *Mitigating Climate Change: What America’s Building Industry Must Do Mahadev Raman. Using DOE data
- 20. To Effectively Deal with Climate Change Buildings Must Use Less Energy
- 21. Employees Everywhere Must Reduce Consumption Retail Commercial Schools Government
- 22. It is Not Happening
- 24. 75 Recommendations Two most important 1. Grade buildings 2. Reduce high GWP agents Soot, methane, ozone, carbon monoxide, etc.
- 25. Analyzed 12 Different Building Energy Labels and Their Associated Rating Methodologies
- 26. Recommended Label In Monthly Utility Bill C- B+ Electricity** Gas** *125 is highest score 1 is lowest Compared to all federal buildings in America (See Inverted Scale with Progressive Weighting) ** The energy grade is determined comparing this building to other similar buildings in similar climates 74* Image from iStockphoto
- 27. Building Energy Grades Recommended Format Relative grade – Graded versus peers – Similar type buildings in similar climates Absolute standard – Compares all buildings worldwide – Absolute score based on BTUs per square foot
- 28. Peer Rating • Similar building types – Office to office – Hospital to hospital • In similar climates • Top 20% get As A+ reserved for net zero • Bottom 20% get Fs • Include + and – • Get the best of either per sq. ft. or per person
- 29. National Rating • National standard – Intuitive: scores above 80 are good, below 70 are poor • 125 minus weighted EUI • Source energy (per sq ft.) – Combines natural gas, oil and electricity – All electricity weighted at national average
- 30. What Would Happen? Put a grade in monthly utility bill Mail window sticker quarterly Optional for the building to display
- 31. What Would Happen? Hotels with As get more business Offices getting Ds would upgrade Energy efficiency would be important Some businesses and employees would hunt down their energy hogs
- 32. What Would Happen? Best energy auditors become very popular Backlog of work upgrading: Lighting systems Windows Cooling towers Insulation Fans, pumps, and motor controls Building controls, VAV boxes, etc.
- 33. What Would Happen? Millions of new jobs Skills would improve Burn less coal and natural gas Send less money out-of-state to buy hydrocarbons Spend more money locally Efficient products outsell inefficient products
- 34. Why This Label Grades motivate change Rewards small improvements Automatically update monthly Universal participation Does not require pre-audits Fair: works for all sizes of buildings Drive dramatic reductions in energy consumption
- 35. Summary Recommendations 1. Grade buildings: A+ to F Optional quarterly window stickers 2. Disclose energy consumption of all buildings claiming to be green Include all government buildings and builders requesting variances Identify the architect
- 36. In Closing Building grades will motivate action: 1. Create private investment 2. Create jobs 3. Improve skills 4. Encourage innovation 5. Reduce emissions A+ For more information: www.EltonSherwin.com Information on building grades: http://www.slideshare.net/EltonSherwin/presentations Specifically two presentations: http://tinyurl.com/34dp6qx and http://tinyurl.com/34vrhl6
- 37. Appendix
- 38. Why Grades Based on Energy? Energy => CO2 => Environmental Damage Image: Roger Braithwaite, University of Manchester (UK) Awards based on anything other than actual energy consumption are not helpful.
- 39. http://www.slideshare.net/EltonSherwin/presentations http://tinyurl.com/34dp6qx and http://tinyurl.com/34vrhl6 Also, see Response to the National Energy Rating Program for Homes Request for Information
- 40. World- wide Next 20 Years (Soot) Soot and Smoke Also Damage Our Environment
- 41. EPA and National Research Council Estimates of Ocean Rise 16 inches 1 meter 130 inches
- 42. Encourage the Disclosure of Building Energy Consumption Cities have leverage: Requesting permit Requesting variance Bidding for city business Selling building Challenge other city governments Prohibit “green” or efficiency claims without disclosure Give window stickers to all homes and businesses who disclose their data Cities can encourage disclosure • Last 2 yrs utility bills • Next 10 yrs
- 43. Use Signage Laws to Ban Advertising Without Disclosure Energy Saving Green Home (Data not disclosed) Require • Last 2 yrs utility bills • Next 10 yrs
- 44. US DOE. CO2 in America. Excludes other greenhouse pollutants: methane, Soot, CFCs, etc. Also excludes embedded energy in imports and most impacts from Agriculture. CO2 Emissions: Circled sources are mostly buildings
- 45. Which Building Types Use the Most Energy Overall?
- 46. Which Building use the Most Energy per Square Foot?
- 47. Electricity Consumption in Healthcare Buildings
- 48. Checklists www.EltonSherwin.com What Can Cities and Counties Do? Simple Green Building Code Homes Commercial Property What are Your Company’s Top Energy Wasters? Schools and public buildings What are Your Home’s Top Energy Wasters? How Do I Find the Energy Hogs in My House? Reducing Your Carbon Footprint www.Amazon.com