We have blogged about our office space and the building that houses it being green friendly – but now we have actual proof from an independent outside organization. The Toronto Star Building at 1 Yonge Street in downtown Toronto has been awarded Silver Certification from the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Canada.
BOMA BEST is the Canadian industry standard for commercial building sustainability certification, and the only assessment and certification program of its kind for commercial buildings in Canada. The BOMA BEST Program provides a consistent framework for owners and managers to critically assess six key areas of environmental performance and management. These include:
- Energy
- Water
- Waste Reduction and Site
- Emissions and Effluents
- Indoor Environment
- Environmental Management System
Over the past number of years, the management of 1 Yonge Street has performed a lot of retrofits to the building to ensure they were heading in the right direction of going green. It is important to note that building support for green initiatives can be a time-consuming challenge for many cost-conscious facility managers. The process of the Toronto Star Building getting more green friendly has been a long one – and work continues to make the building even greener!
The real trick for building owners and managers in getting greener buildings is getting suppliers to sell you more products that are sustainable and green-friendly. If the building’s suppliers are not contributing to its sustainability goals, they are already a step behind. They need to clearly communicate their goals to these suppliers and have them offer products that will help achieve these goals.
As a tenant at a building that is achieving its green goals, you should encourage your clients and other business associates to also find office space in a green-friendly building.