Category Archives: Climate Change

Top 4 Tips to Run an Effective Board Meeting in Under 60 Minutes By Tina Larsson, The Folson Group

The Folson Group

One of the disincentives that keeps good, qualified people from joining their building’s condo or coop board is the demand on the board member’s time. Work in between meetings can generally be done at your discretion, but the meetings themselves are at a set time and day, and can often be long, contentious, drawn out and just plain borrrr-iiiing!

Read https://www.brickunderground.com/blog/2014/11/four_tips_for_improving_your_board_meetings   for additional suggestions.

We have heard of many building’s meeting that consistently lasts three hours or more. That’s insane! No one can possibly concentrate that long or be effective. In time, people begin to dread the meetings, and members become resentful and less inclined to participate fully in the board’s overall functioning. Here are a few simple tips to tighten up your meeting, make it more efficient, more effective, and possibly even more enjoyable!

1. Have every meeting at a set day and time. That is, instead of spending time at every meeting trying to find a date that “works for everybody,” have a consistent schedule so that people will automatically have the day and time saved. Say, the third Tuesday of every month at 6:30pm. This keeps people available and so you’re more likely to have a quorum, and it lets them know well in advance how to plan their personal schedule, and also keeps people from “forgetting” that the meeting was “tonight”!

2. Be sure that everyone works during the month. That means committees, special projects, routine matters, etc. People can talk/text/email about what they are doing, and topics for discussion can presented via email so that everyone can review, prepare and be ready for the meeting, and not waste time “getting up to speed.” As Steven P. Covey said in his book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” be proactive. In many cases, especially simple matters, votes can be conducted through email (and just ratified and memorialized in minutes at the actual meeting).

3. Keep extraneous talk to a minimum and avoid “side-bars” and private conversations. It’s rude, disruptive, and keeps business from being conducted. People can talk about their vacations, grandchildren, how smart and important they are, on their own time: you can still have a friendly and warm meeting while sticking to business.

4. Maintain control of the meeting. Reasonable questions, of course, should be heard, but questions for the sake of delay, argument, and the love of one’s own voice should not be tolerated. It is up to the president to maintain firm, but fair, control of the meeting. When the facts are laid out, a vote is called, tallied, and that’s it, end of discussion, and on to the next item.

Follow these simple tips and have a happier, more convivial and more effective meeting and board!

If your co-op or condo board would like other tips on how to run a more efficient building, The Folson Group provides alternative property management services that helps buildings and boards run more efficiently and can save you up to 40% on the fixed operating costs. Email us at info@thefolsongroup.com or call us at (917) 648-8151 to find out more.

http://www.thefolsongroup.com/

 

Focusing The Power of Finance for Sustainability

If 2020 taught us little else, it taught us that life and the global economy are vulnerable to the forces of nature. Proof is the COVID-19 pandemic which reduced life expectancy in the U.S. by one full year in just a year’s time. And it clearly damaged and set back so many sectors of our economy. Imagine the impacts of global upheavals of nature should we not be sustainable and climate change impacts farflung economic sectors.

At a recent conference, Mark Carney, UN Special Envoy for Climate Action & Finance and a former Governor of both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, says finance can play a pivotal role in addressing the climate crisis, focusing on three points:

First, Mr. Carney argues that now is the time to lay the groundwork for a more sustainable financial system to address climate issues while also preparing for sustainable growth.

A new organization, The Network of Central Banks and Supervisors for Greening the Financial System has grown to over 70 central banks, with the US Fed having announced its intention to join. This would enable 80 – 85% of global GHG emissions to occur in areas with regulators in this organization. This enables a consistent approach to investment and strategies.

The signatories to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) asks each nation for concrete commitments to follow the terms of the Paris Agreement, like reducing GHG emissions and assisting poorer countries to grow sustainably. Mr. Carney sees this as a cycle. These commitments provides the opportunity for certainty and planning of projects and financing, which better enables success in such initiatives, which leads to meeting climate goals.

Second, is how can market forces be used to make headway in solving the climate crisis. As has been said, a forest has no market value until the trees are chopped down. What can change to encourage (financially) forests from not being chopped down, for instance? Mr. Carney believes that strengthening the carbon offset market can be such a vehicle.

The third factor revolves around risk. The financial sector needs to quantify risk and put their money behind opportunities of excellent projects and avoid funding those that add risk in terms of climate. Quantification of risk and reward, of course, cannot occur without open, public determination of and reporting of climate change risks.
If these issues can be resolved, then Mr. Carney is optimistic that the market will drive climate solution in a successful and beneficial way.

And finally, we are seeing in the US major moves and discussions led by major financial sector leaders (i.e., BlackRock) that climate change is the pre-eminent issue of our times with great human and business implications.

CCES has the experts to help your firm find its footing with Climate Change and sustainability and begin to assess technical risk. Contact us today at 914-584-6720 or at karell@CCESworld.com.

New Commercial Designs In Response To COVID-19

Of course, we all know that “necessity is the mother of invention.” COVID-19 has certainly caused a need for new or redeveloped commercial space that reduces the transmission and health risks of COVID-19 and potential future viruses and bacteria. In addition, with the realization during the pandemic that people can work as effectively remotely, commercial building owners must be able to demonstrate why a centralized office setting is still critical for growth. Therefore, several New York City developers are currently addressing these issues with newly constructed or redeveloped spaces or buildings soon to hit the market.

One example is combining buildings to give tenants more space to spread staff out to allow social distancing. This example will also invest in enlarging elevator banks and elevators, as that is seen as a bottleneck in terms of office employees getting to their desks. Traditionally-sized elevators can be ideal for virus/bacteria transmission, so larger ones are needed. Additional changes being implemented include larger stairwells, individual washrooms, and outdoor terraces.

Another example is the renovation of an old retail store to an office complex that will host a school to train young people in the high-tech skills of the tenants elsewhere in the building. Staff can assist in training without leaving the building. Entering this building will be a touchless experience with personal phone apps signaling the elevators needed to get to the right location.

Another item that developers are considering and instituting is additional bicycle parking and showers, anticipating the biking trend will continue after the return to “normal”.

Another item being instituted is the return to something seen in old buildings and that is every floor having and operating its own heating and air conditioning system so that no air is circulated with other floors to temper spread of viruses. The trend of the last few decades of centralized air circulation may be ending. Each tenant is free to add MERV filters or a bipolar ionization system if they wish.

Another potential trend is the “groundscaper”, a low-to-the-ground building that stretches an entire block to minimize time in elevators and spread staff out on the same floor for easier communication.

CCES is not an architectural firm or construction contractor, but we have the experts to help your firm assess the climate change and sustainability factors and optimize them for your benefit, including reducing your carbon footprint and improving worker satisfaction and productivity. Contact us today at karell@CCESworld.com or at 914-584-6720.

Follow The Money To Reach Climate Change Goals

2021 ushers in a new Administration in the US, whose leader declared on his first day in office the importance of Climate Change and that the US will quickly re-enter the Paris Accords and attempt to be a leader in the movement. Perhaps an even stronger movement for addressing Climate Change has happened gradually over the last couple of years, the movement of major corporations and money managers to understand the business risks of Climate Change and the need to address the issue. Laurence Fink, the head of the major global money management firm, BlackRock, which manages about $9 trillion, wrote letters to the world’s C.E.O.s with the urgent message that Climate Change will be “a defining factor in companies’ long-term prospects.” And “We are on the edge of a fundamental reshaping of finance.”

The letter had a quick impact, as a number of major firms developed and communicated strong Climate Change goals within months, such as Microsoft becoming carbon negative by 2030 and Delta Air Lines, impacted greatly like the whole airline industry by the pandemic, announcing its goal to be carbon neutral in 10 years even though they believe this to be a $1 billion effort.

The COVID-19 pandemic could have been an excuse to ignore these warnings about Climate Change and encouragement to be sustainable, but instead investment in companies perceived to be “green” or will help others be more sustainable grew, such as sustainability-oriented mutual funds. This is making “green” investing more profitable.

Mr. Fink went further, requesting companies develop specific plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions greatly and be more sustainable, hinting that BlackRock may shift investment monies or even request changes in leadership of companies that are not sufficiently engaged in the process.

BlackRock is looking to develop a metric for public equity and bond funds to evaluate their companies and whether they have feasible, explicit Climate Change goals and the degree funds invest their money in “green” or in fossil fuel enterprises. For example, a number of large pension funds have, in recent months, divested billions of dollars from fossil fuel-oriented assets.

Mr. Fink’s letters have encouraged companies to plan for and work toward achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. While achieving net-zero is terrific, this cannot be achieved without purchasing carbon offsets, investing in greenhouse gas emission reductions elsewhere. Unfortunately, the carbon market system is currently sketchy with few reliable auditing programs to confirm whether the reduction was really achieved and will continue in the future. This needs to be addressed.

The BlackRock letters have been criticized as showcase marketing, a shield against future actions, and hypocritical (BlackRock still invests tens of billions of dollars in coal-related companies). However, they certainly have and will have the impact of changing the topic of conversation in major corporations to seriously discuss their sustainability and Climate Change programs with serious planning and execution. Certainly if “big money” joins the movement to be more sustainable and properly address Climate Change, this will have a major positive impact on the movement worldwide.

CCES has the experts to help your company assess its greenhouse gas emissions and develop strategies to not only lower your your “carbon footprint” economically, but incorporate other sustainability operations to further save costs, improve efficiency, and benefit the planet. Contact us today at karell@CCESworld.com or at 914-584-6720.

USEPA Announces 2020 ENERGY STAR Top Cities

The USEPA recently unveiled its annual ENERGY STAR Top Cities list of 2020, showing which US metro areas earned the most ENERGY STAR-certified buildings in 2019. They ranked the Top 25 Cities overall, the Top 10 Mid-Size Cities, and the Top 10 Small Cities. See: https://www.energystar.gov/buildings/topcities

In 2019, the USEPA updated its ENERGY STAR scoring models to make them more stringent, partially as they reflected the improved energy performance of the overall US commercial buildings. ENERGY STAR scores are based on a 0 to 100 median system. Despite the more stringent criteria, over 5,600 buildings earned ENERGY STAR certification. According to the USEPA, they saved over $1.4 billion in energy costs and prevented the emissions of nearly 5 million metric tons of greenhouse gases. The tough standards caused a number of previously ENERGY STAR-certified buildings to drop out of ENERGY STAR status, as many dropped below the criteria of 75. The USEPA noted that many such buildings went on to incorporate upgrades to enable them to go back over 75 again and bring back their ENERGY STAR status.

Los Angeles earned 1st place with 546 ENERGY STAR-certified buildings. Washington, D.C. finished in 2nd place; San Francisco, Dallas, Atlanta, Chicago, and New York came in 3rd through 7th place this year, the latter with 200 ENERGY STAR-certified buildings in 2019.

Among mid-sized US cities, the top 5 ENERGY STAR metropolitan cities were San Jose, CA, Provo, UT, Des Moines, IA, Raleigh, NC, and Louisville, KY with 274 ENERGY STAR-certified buildings between them. The top small US city was Jackson, MI, with 50 ENERGY STAR-certified buildings by itself, 1 building for every 670 people. These buildings saved their owners over $1.1 million in energy costs.

In total, nationally, since 1999, over 36,000 buildings have earned ENERGY STAR certification. Their energy upgrade projects implemented to earn the award has brought their owners significant, continual energy costs savings for many years.

CCES has the experts to assess whether your building may already merit the ENERGY STAR award. If it does not meet the criteria, we can recommend strategies to be more energy efficient and earn the award, what each strategy costs, and what the cost savings will be. Contact us today at karell@CCESworld.com or at 914-584-6720.

Will 2021 Be the Year Big Finance Goes Forward on Climate Change?

In a recent report, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve acknowledged for the first time the impacts of Climate Change on financial markets and overall stability, doubling down on a recent statement by Chairman Jerome Powell that the Federal Reserve is “actively … getting up to speed” on Climate Change risks and its impacts to the financial system. The Federal Reserve distinguishes between sudden shocks to financial conditions and long-term, gradual changes. The recent report notes that Climate Change risk is a combination of shocks that result in economic vulnerabilities over time, which are difficult to research and measure.

In the Federal Reserve’s view, acute hazards, such as storms, floods, droughts, or wildfires, can quickly change future economic conditions or the value of assets which could result in significant financial instability. In addition, public perception of risk could affect perceived values, too.

The Federal Reserve proposes several changes to address Climate Change risk, such as:

• Insisting on increased measurement and disclosure within financial markets and investors to improve climate risk pricing and reduce asset price volatility

• More research on the relationships between climate, the economy, and markets to improve predictability of Climate Change events and effects

• More planning on adapting to the physical effects of Climate Change through technologies and policy changes, to reduce physical risks of Climate Change.

2020 is also the year that momentum rose in the Security & Exchange Commission (SEC) to take more seriously Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) issues of private companies. SEC Commissioner Allison Herren Lee wrote in an op-ed that the SEC is obligated to consider Climate Change in investment decisions, as it affects “… the livability of the planet.”

The first step in effectively addressing these issues is to develop consistent reporting standards for ESG. Recently, the International Federation of Accountants proposed a board – expected to be formed in 2021 – to develop new international sustainability standards to determine necessary measurements and reporting standards for different industries or company types.

It is likely that President Biden-selections to replace senior officials in the Federal Reserve and SEC in 2021 will likely push this process along more vigorously.

CCES has the experts to help you form and execute a useful Climate Change program to determine goals and progress and inform your stakeholders. Contact us today at karell@CCESworld.com or at 914-584-6720.

3 Overlooked Areas To Maintain Proactive Systems

Last month, I wrote that having a viable energy program is like going to the doctor. The general practitioner may not solve your problem, but he/she will tell you if you may have a problem which should be addressed early on. Catch a potential problem and solve it before it becomes serious and costly. Have as a goal for 2021 the practice of examining your energy and/or environmental compliance program – even if they seem to be functioning fine and shows you are in control. Such a review may reveal problems that will only get worse, risky for compliance, and costly in the future, if not addressed. Therefore, pay attention and react to:

• Process changes. Even a small change in one area or a need to make more of a certain product in another can have significant impacts on energy and environmental compliance. Many changes in processes impact environmental compliance. For example, changes made to the procedures to make certain chemicals to, say, reduce water usage, may result in changes in emissions of critical air toxics or changes to energy usage. These need to be estimated and, if necessary, modify applicable permits and determine whether compliance is maintained and additional (or saved) energy usage. All probable process changes or new equipment should be evaluated for environmental compliance and energy usage. This should not only go for process changes at the individual step level, but larger impacts, too, such as the number of batches of compound run. While you may focus on controlling big energy or greenhouse gas emitting processes, using a “run of the mill” process more can net out significant reductions made elsewhere, costing you much.

• Regulatory and policy changes. It is tempting to keep your energy and environmental compliance systems which are working well, at the status quo. But things change, and one of the things that affects either the most are new or revised regulations. So, make the time to follow regulatory changes in your jurisdiction. However, do not just follow new regulations, but also new policies and cultural changes that affect requirements and agency or public expectations.

• Technology and infrastructure. It is important to keep up with changes in technology or applications to assure the ongoing effectiveness of your environmental compliance or energy program. Keep track of not only new equipment and its uses, but also their complex relationships to determine potential upheavals when it comes to environmental compliance and energy usage. New technologies are usually “cleaner” than the ones being replaced, but not always so or not in all aspects (for example, some, while reducing air toxic emissions, may use more energy). So perform a thorough analysis of how it affects your current permits and energy usage.

Over time, developing a system to monitor changes in these seemingly “innocuous” areas can help strengthen your environmental compliance and energy systems and ensure that your facility does not unknowingly float into non-compliance or suddenly raise energy usage that might result in shortfalls or higher costs.

CCES has the experts to help you strengthen your environmental and energy systems to detect issues before they become costly and risky. Contact us today at 914-584-6720 or at karell@CCESworld.com.

And the Winner for 2020 Is (Drumroll): Science

I think most people would agree that 2020 was the worst year of our lives. With the exception of some who served in war or dealt with death or suffering, this year was very bad for most of us. We had the largest pandemic in a century kill over 1.6 million people worldwide so far (as I write this), 18% of which live in this country (even though the US has only 4% of the world’s population), in what is supposed to be the world’s most advanced nation. We are in a massive recession coming from the pandemic, causing millions to lose their jobs. According to Fortune Magazine, nearly 100,000 US businesses shut down permanently for reasons related to the pandemic – and that was still in September. We had huge forest fires in the US West – the largest and most intense in recorded history and the largest number of serious storms ever around the Gulf. Plus, we had very contentious and polarizing political races, which certainly upset and depressed many people. A huge whammy of serious problems, if there ever existed.

I don’t mean to talk politics here, but I think the vast majority of us can agree that the leadership to combat these problems at the national level was mediocre to be charitable and really poor. President Trump failed to acknowledge many problems and address them to at least make a dent in them. Nobody could expect of any leader to achieve zero deaths from COVID-19 or no named storms in a year. But instead Trump pretty much ignored the many problems the US had to confront because he saw he could not get a full, quick, and complete victory. So he wished them away and hoped to de-emphasize their impact on the public.

His was leadership by intimidation. And in many cases, it worked. There was solid evidence he committed convictable crimes, yet at his impeachment trial, he used intimidation to keep his party’s Senators in line to acquit. He used Twitter to attack good people who, in almost all cases, accepted their smearing and firing or ended up defending their attacker. What I found particularly amazing was Trump’s humiliation and firing of Jeff Sessions, the first mainstream Republican to support him. He might not have become President without him. But when Sessions made the proper decision to recuse himself from an investigation, Trump not only fired him, but belittled and sullied his name so badly that he could not run successfully in his home state again.

But we learned in 2020 that leadership by intimidation has its limits. President Trump could not bully the coronavirus into submission. He could not intimidate massive storms and wildfires to be less severe or not form or spread. Trump could not control – in fact, he was ultimately controlled by – science. Science prevailed and broke the norms he wanted of life and was the ultimate winner in 2020 – to our pain and detriment ultimately, of course.

So a lessen we should learn for 2021 is to respect nature and let us harness the power and knowledge of science for the better for all. There are some good signs. The new COVID-19 task force that President-elect Biden has put together and appears to empower is composed of top notch physicians and scientists and appears to be ready to make decisions based on knowledge of how viruses spread, proliferate, and do damage, not wishing it go away. The new Administration said it will re-enlist the US in the Paris Climate Accords to lead the world in addressing Climate Change based on knowledge and science and will try (within democratic constraints) to pass regulations and incentives to bring down greenhouse gas emissions, which science has demonstrated is its cause and not keep our heads in the sand and ignore the problem. And turn clean, efficient energy into economic prosperity, which it can do. Let’s all hope and support this approach!

CCES has the technical experts that use the best science and knowledge of technology to help your firm prosper when it comes to energy management, usage and reducing waste and to environmental stewardship. We can help you harness the power of knowledge to maximize your bottom line benefits. Talk to us on how we can help you. Contact us today at 914-584-6720 or at karell@CCESworld.com.

Have a healthy, safe, prosperous, and more knowledge-based 2021 for you, your loved ones, and your companies from CCES!

A Goal for the Season: Express Your Gratitude

For many of us, 2020 has simply been a terrible year, the worst year of our lives. A pandemic the likes of which we have not seen in a century, that has killed over 1.5 million people worldwide, as this is written. A related economic slowdown that has sent many good, hard-working people to the poorhouse. A very feisty and divisive national election which exposed US vulnerabilities and even attacked our underlying democracy, with otherwise good people demonized and with families and friends broken apart by the rancor and unable or unwilling to compromise even a little. A year of backtracking on progress toward addressing climate change and clean energy.

What can we do as people and as practitioners of a healthier planet? I wish I had some great philosophical or even practical words of advice to heal the wounds and solve the problems. I doubt they exist. We all have to move forward slowly, in our own way, by becoming better people. One way is to show gratitude, to show others that even if we disagree, we still care, we respect, we realize others values as unique human beings. And a simple way to do this is express this by writing a personal, heartfelt note.

My gosh, for many people (like me) this can be challenging! As an engineer, I stick to data, facts, conclusions, and do not normally express heartfelt thoughts, I admit. How does one approach this? Here are some tips:

• Come up with a list of people to write. Family, friends, people who will be buoyed by receiving such a note of gratitude.

• Think about each person. Note one or two unique, positive characteristics, even if you may not “agree” with his/her philosophy or lifestyle.

• Say “Thank you”. Consider at least one good thing the person has done this year (gave you support during a difficult time, baked a cake, excelled in some activity).

• Think about how to express the respect you have for this person’s uniqueness.

• Express hope for a happy and meaningful holiday season. And consider next year. Be positive. Express your hope that soon there will be a vaccine, people will be immunized from COVID-19, life will return to normal, and we can share and spend more time together in the future. We will all be happier.

Ideally, these should be handwritten notes. While a bit more work, it’s probably a good idea to write out a draft of what you wish to say before writing the final note; review and edit and perhaps even “sleep” on it before writing the final note. Find nice stationary to write your notes or personalize blank sheets to make it unique and bring joy to others.

This may be one of the most meaningful things you do this Holiday season for your family and friends and – in these tough times – may be remembered the fondest. Enjoy.

Happy Holiday Season and make it a great 2021.

Marc Karell

Climate Change & Environmental Services, LLC

Energy & Environmental Analysis of 2020 Election

As this is written, we think the election of 2020 is over. Joe Biden will be the new President as of January 20, 2021, although Donald Trump has not acknowledged the voting results. Let’s hope this is bluster and normal transfer of power will occur. Here are some potential changes in energy and environment rules in a Biden Administration.

The Biden Administration will likely move to reverse regulatory actions of the Trump Administration. For example, Biden said that on his first day on the job he will apply for reinstatement in the Paris Climate Accords. The Democratic Party said it would propose a $2 trillion plan to improve transportation and achieve a carbon-free power grid by 2035 and net-zero emissions by 2050. However, given the uncertain makeup of the Senate and not knowing if all Democrats, such as Sen. Manchin of WV, could support this it is unclear whether the plan can pass. While difficult in our partisan atmosphere, bipartisan compromises may be necessary. Many environmental and climate policy changes may be implemented by administrative policy and enforcement, rather than by legislation. Potentially favorable to Biden is the fact that at many of states have adopted a Renewable Portfolio Standard and many companies have GHG emission pledges.

The Biden Administration is likely to reverse deregulatory policies of the Trump Administration, such as revoking executive orders, such as those encouraging energy exploration in environmentally-sensitive areas. The Biden Administration may also place those in charge of the US EPA to promote stronger regulations and enforcement.
The incoming Biden Administration is anticipated to depart from the Trump Administration’s approach to enforcement and permitting and increase attention on environmental justice issues.

The Biden Administration is likely to reverse Trump executive order and issue new ones reestablishing a goal for the federal government to reduce GHG emissions and limiting oil and gas leasing on federal lands. President-elect Biden recently pledged to use the federal government procurement system to give preference to technologies that would move the nation towards 100% clean energy and zero-emissions vehicles to jump-start those industries and to re-establish DOE energy efficiency standards.

President-elect Biden has spoken about his desire to push the government to invest in major infrastructure upgrades, including those that support clean energy power. Biden will likely empower FERC to develop strategies to achieve net-zero emissions, including incentives to grow clean energy and improve energy efficiency of buildings.

A Biden US EPA is expected to address and potentially repeal Trump’s Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule, which withdrew its prior Clean Air Act waiver for California GHG programs and rolled back stringent GHG standards for future autos.

Finally, the Biden Administration is expected to attempt to re-enact the “Once In, Always In” policy of applicability of sources in the air toxics program , NESHAPS, and undo earlier rollbacks under the Endangered Species Act.

Please note that this article is not a legal evaluation of US energy and environmental laws and where they are heading. For specific advice, please engage an appropriate legal professional. CCES has the technical expertise to keep up with and help you comply with complex environmental and energy rules, whether they be federal, state, or local ones. Contact us today at 914-584-6720 or at karell@CCESworld.com.