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Watch Now: The Legal Landscape of ESG: A Builder/Developers Guide

ESG's Legal landscape - webinar preview image

Recorded on Wednesday, May 8th, 2024

Watch Richard E. Glaze, Jr., Partner with Barnes & Thornburg LLP, offer his expertise as an attorney on ESG, why stakeholders are demanding disclosures, disclosure forums, climate reporting issues, legal requirements for ESG, and what the future holds for ESG.

ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) practices encompass a range of policies and actions that builders and developers disclose to stakeholders and regulators. Stakeholders and regulators increasingly demand ESG disclosures to assess risks, reputation, and long-term sustainability. However, various forums for disclosure, such as SEC reports and corporate social responsibility reports, present both opportunities and pitfalls for builders and developers navigating ESG commitments.

Builders and developers are increasingly focusing on environmental aspects of ESG, with a particular emphasis on climate reporting. Quantitative metrics like greenhouse gas emissions and net zero pledges are gaining importance alongside qualitative factors such as operational impacts and mitigation measures. Various climate disclosure rules are shaping the landscape. Despite challenges and anti-ESG sentiments, the momentum behind ESG practices is expected to continue growing, underscoring its enduring importance in the building industry.

Richard Glaze picture

Speaker

Richard Glaze, Atlanta Attorney | Jr. Partner at Barnes & Thornburg

A former federal enforcement counsel with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and a former special assistant U.S. attorney, Rich Glaze is an environmental and criminal defense lawyer who provides creative, strategic, results-oriented counsel to his clients – primarily corporations, municipalities, utilities and individuals.

Alongside his colleagues, Rich counsels businesses about the legal aspects of Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) issues, with a focus on climate change, sustainability and environmental justice, informed by his experience and training in environmental, business and corporate law.

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Architectural interiors ebook - preview image
Free Ebook Download

Interior Architectural Finishes & Furniture for LEED

It’s one of the worst feelings for an interior designer: you put your heart and soul into a great design only to face last-minute changes dictated by factors outside of your control.

Design in construction can get messy. Even with the best planning and foresight, commercial specifications can still change at the end of a project due to a wide variety of reasons but some of the most common are value engineering, pricing, and availability of products.

Download the eBook

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The goal of value engineering in commercial architecture and interior design is to optimize for the best balance between design functionality, aesthetics, and cost. Meanwhile, market forces, including changes in product availability and cost of labor, can quickly impact a project's budget, forcing project teams to revise specifications to accommodate. Then there are times when owners simply get tired of forking over cash and ask for budget cuts.

You often compromise your design with these alterations, and you likely need to rush to make them to the drawings and finish schedule in order to meet construction schedules.

Interior designers have to be ready and flexible to adapt to potential changes. And with so many factors to consider when specifying your materials selection, including codes, acoustics, maintenance, and long-term durability (as well as the design aesthetics) to say “it’s complicated” is an understatement. Fortunately, having ready access to reliable product information is within reach. This is particularly important when balancing sustainability practices with value engineering challenges.

Following LEED standards ensures that chosen products meet sustainability criteria, helps designers contribute to healthier indoor environments, and the third-party certification adds credibility, making clients less likely to substitute products or compromise environmental goals. While upfront costs might be slightly higher, the inherent value of LEED-certified products make them more resistant to specification changes. Interior designers play a crucial role in educating clients about these benefits and fostering cooperation throughout the project.

Through our collaborations with thousands of project teams and hundreds of designers, Green Badger has identified interior architectural finishes and furniture products linked to LEED attributes.

Using these essential products, along with others like them necessary for your team to accrue certification points, can prevent jeopardizing your beautiful finishes before installation.

The great news is you can instantly find and verify thousands of products for a LEED project, all consistently updated and easily referenced in Green Badger’s platform.

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LEED Construction User Group

Green Badger's April 2024 LEED User Group

Recorded on: Wednesday, April 24th, 2024

Watch the recorded session of the February 2024 LEED Construction User Group.

UPCOMING WEBINAR

Join the LinkedIn LEED Construction User Group

This LEED Construction User Group is composed of people living and breathing LEED on a daily basis. We'll address all your questions and concerns about LEED.

  • Get answers to your LEED construction questions
  • Connect with green building industry professionals
  • Progress sustainability reporting in the construction industry
JOIN THE GROUP
Green Badger LEED Construction User Group Header

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Guide to EPDs and MIR Option 2
Free Ebook Download

Guide to EPD and MIR: Options 1 & 2

It wouldn’t be a day ending in “Y” if someone at Green Badger didn’t have a conversation with a project team that resulted in the exasperated question of:

“What the F@%K do I need to do to earn this credit?”

While we could rant daily about the many “fun challenges” that come with earning LEED certification, we’re taking the high road. We strive to be solution providers, and firmly believe in our motto of “Sustainability Simplified”.

Download the Guide to EPDs and MIR Options 1 & 2

We believe that people want to do the right thing – they just want to know what it is, without having to slog through and figure out what to do. While this might be an overly general statement for everything in life, it tends to hold true in LEED.

Don’t make me guess what paint/drywall/pipe complies. Just tell me which ones to use that earn the credit! And I think USGBC hears that.

In the meantime, we’ve created a guide to help teams plan a strategy to earn two of the Building Product Disclosure and Optimization credits for v4 and v4.1 - Environmental Product Declarations and Material Ingredient Reporting.

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Specifications & Submittal Webinar

Specifications and Submittals - Recorded Webinar Image

This session focuses on the importance of specification content in Division 1 as well as other technical sections, and how the requirements outlined can be improved from standard industry templates commonly used as starting points for projects. It also include s the transition from the design documents to the construction team, and final implementation in the submittal process.

UPCOMING WEBINAR

Recorded on Wednesday, April 3rd, 2024

The importance of the specifications as contract documents must be leveraged for project success without being abused to ensure clear and reasonable requirements, and consistent, ongoing communication between the contractors and designers.

Unlike previously presented, specification-focused sessions, we will walk through the meaning of the specification book, Divisions' subsections, why the location of requirements within a section matters, as well as numerous specific lessons learned from over 100 LEED and WELL projects administered between two individuals, one of whom has shared expertise as a specification writer for "green" projects for over 15 years. The information shared will help attendees gain a greater understanding of the functions of specifications in general (something that is rarely fully explained to designers - too often it is assumed that either the person already knows, or doesn't need to understand the bigger picture) as well as better understand how to include enforceable requirements for better accountability through the end of certification processes.

The outcome will be a more comprehensive understanding of the role that specifications play in a design/construction project, as well as how to appropriately author and enforce the requirements needed to ensure a successful LEED, WELL, SITES, or other sustainable project.

Learning Objectives:

  • Gain a greater understanding of the purpose of a project specification book, including overall organization and individual subsections.
  • Understand where in a project specification book it is appropriate to incorporate LEED, WELL, SITES, or other product or performance requirements.
  • Articulate how LEED v4 and v4.1 BD+C and ID+C, as well as WELL v2 construction requirements can be appropriately integrated throughout a project specification book.
  • Successfully work with contractors through the use of a submittal cover sheet, tracking log, and review process for products on a LEED and/or WELL project, or other projects incorporating sustainability requirements.

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LEED Construction User Group

LEED User Group header image for February 2024 webinar.

Recorded on: February 28th, 2024

Watch the recorded session of the February 2024 LEED Construction User Group.

UPCOMING WEBINAR

Join the LinkedIn LEED Construction User Group

This LEED Construction User Group is composed of people living and breathing LEED on a daily basis. We'll address all your questions and concerns about LEED.

  • Get answers to your LEED construction questions
  • Connect with green building industry professionals
  • Progress sustainability reporting in the construction industry
JOIN THE GROUP
Green Badger LEED Construction User Group Header

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Selecting optimized products for LEED projects video preview image

Selecting Optimized Products for LEED Projects

Recorded Resource

This video is designed to provide you with a roadmap for earning both Option 1 and Option 2 for materials and resources credits. We also discuss which products are currently used by LEED project teams across the US.

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August LEED User Group Image

August 2023 LEED Construction User Group

Recorded Wednesday, August 30th 2:00 PM EDT

Did you miss our August LEED Construction User Group meeting? Good news! You can watch the recording here.

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The General Contractor’s Roadmap for ESG Implementation

ONDEMAND WEBINAR

Recorded on Wednesday June 21, 2023 from 2pm to 3pm EDT

ESG is everywhere nowadays. But what does it mean for general contractors and the construction industry? In this highly anticipated webinar, we unveil Green Badger's groundbreaking ESG Implementation Roadmap for General Contractors. Designed to navigate the uncharted waters of ESG in construction, this roadmap equips General Contractors with the essential tools and strategies needed to survive in this new world managing environmental, social, and governance impacts.

Whether your company is a team of 5 or 5,000, this webinar provides valuable insights and practical tips to successfully implement ESG within your organization, gain a competitive edge, attract and retain employees, and unlock the immense benefits that come with embracing ESG.

Meet the Speakers

Join Kristin as she walks you through Green Badger's highly anticipated ESG Implementation Roadmap.

Green Badger's Kristin Brubaker headshot

Kristin Brubaker

Education Manager at Green Badger

I have a profound understanding of sustainability in the built environment through my degree in environmental science and previous experience working in the general contractor realm. I am passionate about educating individuals about the environmental impact of construction and helping them to implement sustainability practices efficiently and effectively. I have led multiple corporate responsibility initiatives focused on reducing environmental impact, and earned my LEED AP BD+C in 2021. I'm currently the Customer Acquisition and Education Manager for Green Badger where I focus on ESG (Environmental Social Governance) implementation in the construction industry and supporting our customers on their sustainability journey.

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April 2023 LEED Construction User Group

webinar
ON-DEMAND WEBINAR

Recorded Wednesday, April 26th 2:00 PM EDT

Did you miss our April User Group meeting? You can watch the recording here! Check out Green Badger's upcoming meetings section on our Resources page to register for future webinars.

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Furniture for a Sustainable Future: Steelcase and LEED Credits

ON-DEMAND WEBINAR

Recorded on Thursday April 20, 2023 at 1pm EDT

Green Badger and Steelcase’s Global Sustainability Consultant, Eric Doyle, recorded an insightful webinar on how furniture products can be a valuable asset in achieving LEED credits. Gain a deeper understanding of LEED documentation for furniture products and the BIFMA LEVEL certification system from Eric's expertise. Discover how Steelcase products can contribute to meeting your sustainability goals, and the seamless process of working with Steelcase dealers. Learn about Steelcase's commitment to materials transparency and eliminating chemicals of concern.

Elevate your sustainability efforts and achieve LEED credits with Steelcase furniture products!

Meet the Speakers

Green Badger is excited to be hosting this webinar with Steelcase!

tommy linstroth green badger

Tommy Linstroth

Green Badger Founder & CEO

"I’ve combined my passion for sustainability and the built environment to create Green Badger, an innovative SaaS company that automates green construction compliance. As a LEED Fellow with more than a decade of industry knowledge and experience on over 150 green construction projects, I know that the certification process can be unnecessarily over-complicated. To help construction professionals with this process, I founded Green Badger to provide a comprehensive solution for ensuring LEED compliance as efficiently as possible, because project teams should be focusing on getting green buildings built on time and on budget, not chasing paperwork."

Eric Doyle, Steelcase

Eric Doyle

Global Sustainability at Steelcase

Eric Doyle has nearly three decades of combined experience in the commercial office interiors and sustainable design/build construction industry. Eric started his professional career at Steelcase in product development and later transitioned to a role as Sustainability Manager for a Design-Build Construction firm. For a dozen years, Eric focused his passion and skillset on the field of environmental sustainability at a consulting firm. Here he navigated various roles, from LEED project reviewer to review team quality manager. As a sustainability consultant, he established and maintained strong client relationships, managed projects and teams, facilitated integrative design meetings, conducted presentations, and collaborated with subcontractors, design teams, and manufacturers. He helped many clients define and achieve sustainability goals for energy, waste, water, and carbon reductions and influenced overall strategic direction. He led a building performance team that focused on improving existing operations through ASHRAE Level I-III energy assessments, systems and envelope commissioning, energy modeling, blower-door testing, and utility/tax incentives. Eric has been intricately involved in over one hundred LEED, WELL, and LBC certification projects totaling over several million square feet from coast to coast.

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Subcontractor Training: Tips and Tricks for GCs

ON DEMAND WEBINAR

Recorded on Wednesday, March 29th at 1:00pm EST

Subcontractors play an essential role in the success of LEED construction credits. The Green Badger team discusses best practices General Contractors can use to ensure subcontractors provide clean LEED submittals to avoid the dreaded Revise and Resubmit. The topics covered include best practices for subcontractor training, lessons learned from hundreds of projects, and insights into common stumbling blocks.

If this interests you, check out our Subcontractor Training video which can be used as part of your sub's onboarding process.

Meet the Speakers

Green Badger is excited to be hosting this webinar!

tommy linstroth green badger

Tommy Linstroth

Green Badger Founder & CEO

"I’ve combined my passion for sustainability and the built environment to create Green Badger, an innovative SaaS company that automates green construction compliance. As a LEED Fellow with more than a decade of industry knowledge and experience on over 150 green construction projects, I know that the certification process can be unnecessarily over-complicated. To help construction professionals with this process, I founded Green Badger to provide a comprehensive solution for ensuring LEED compliance as efficiently as possible, because project teams should be focusing on getting green buildings built on time and on budget, not chasing paperwork."

Lauren Richardson Sustainability Associate at Green Badger

Lauren Richardson

Sustainability Manager at Green Badger

I have a background in LEED, quality management, training, team facilitation, ISO certification, and 10 years of experience in the design-build industry as a commercial interior designer and project manager. I completed an HBS Online course in Sustainable Business Strategy. I'm currently the Sustainability Manager for Green Badger, which offers cloud-based solutions, training, and consulting for LEED project teams. Keeping "Sustainability Simplified" as Green Badger's motto is what I strive to do through all of my training sessions.

Green Badger's Kristin Brubaker headshot

Kristin Brubaker

Customer Acquisition and Education Manager at Green Badger

I have a profound understanding of sustainability in the built environment through my degree in environmental science and previous experience working in the general contractor realm. I am passionate about educating individuals about the environmental impact of construction and helping them to implement sustainability practices efficiently and effectively. I have led multiple corporate responsibility initiatives focused on reducing environmental impact, and earned my LEED AP BD+C in 2021. I'm currently the Customer Acquisition and Education Manager for Green Badger where I focus on ESG (Environmental Social Governance) implementation in the construction industry and supporting our customers on their sustainability journey.