Sustainable Practices in Facilities Management - Essay Example

?Sustainable Practices in Facilities Management: Carbon Footprints Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Part 4 Overview 4 Discussion 5 Critical Analysis of the Causes of Generating Carbon Footprint 5 Requirement to Reduce Carbon Footprint in an Organization 9 A Critical Appraisal of Renewable Energy Technologies 10 Initial Process of Implementing Renewable Energy Techniques 15 Recommendations for the Business 16 Part 2 18 Sustainable Development 18 Business Case for Sustainable Development 18 Benefits of Sustainable Development 22 Waste Management Plan for Building Blocks I LLC 23 Background 23 Present Scenario of the USA 23 Objective of the Plan 24 Construction Contract Requirements 25 Time Schedule of the Waste Management Plan 25 Relationship with Other Plans and Policies 26 Status Part 27 Waste Streams 27 Waste Quantities 27 Waste Collection and Treatment 28 Planning Part 28 Buying and Storing Material 28 Make the Plan Cost Effective 29 Implementation Part 29 Training Session 30 Waste Segregation 30 Maintenance Activities 31 References of Report 1 32 Bibliography of Report 1 35 References of Report 2 38 Bibliography of Report 2 41 Part 1 Overview The recent past depicts the simultaneous growth in the technologies and the industries as well. This development increases the implementation of the new techniques and equipments in all the sectors, which lead to increase in the level of pollution and most importantly carbon emission. Meanwhile, it is also true that with the growing level of pollution, several anti-pollution techniques and equipments have also been discovered through the improved technology. It is apparent that global risk is increasing with the transformation in the climate and it requires urgent response otherwise environmental destruction cannot be stopped. This fact has been accepted by several countries worldwide and they made commitments accordingly. Though it has already been discussed regarding the availability of the anti-pollution techniques, implementation of those techniques and equipments in an organization require long term planning in terms of financial, technological, human resource and other aspects. Considering this fact, it has been intended to prepare a report on the requirement of reducing carbon footprint in a construction company, named Building Blocks I LLC, strategy development and implementation process of the total carbon footprint. Moreover, the report will also provide recommendation of adopting the most suitable renewable energy technologies with the proper justification of the selection. Discussion Critical Analysis of the Causes of Generating Carbon Footprint Carbon footprint is the tool of measuring the total greenhouse gas emission that can be directly or indirectly generated from an individual, organization, products or events. The footprint consisted of all six components of Kyoto Protocol Greenhouse gases namely Methane (CH4), Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Hydro fluorocarbons (HFCs), Sulphur Hexafluoride (SF6), Nitrous Oxide (N2O) and Per fluorocarbons (PFCs). Carbon footprint can be measured in the tones of ‘carbon dioxide equivalent’, which can be symbolized as (tCO2e). Carbon footprint can be classified into two forms namely organizational and product. Organizational carbon footprint considers all the emissions from the activities across the organization, which includes company vehicles, industrial processes and energy use of buildings. Wherein, emissions across the entire product and service life cycle are considered as the product’s carbon footprint. It engaged manufacturing right, extraction of raw material, its use, final reuse, disposal and eventually recycling (Carbon Trust, 2011). From each and every day-to-day activities of an organization or a household, greenhouse gases can be generated, which have massive contribution in the overall carbon emission. The sources of carbon footprint can be exhibited through a diagram. Source: (Carbon Footprint, 2011). In this pie chart, the green elements depict the primary footprints whereas the yellow components show the secondary footprints. Primary footprints can be managed by the human beings as it considers the direct emissions of the carbon dioxide from the human activities. But human beings do not have direct control over the secondary footprints as it measures the indirect emission of CO2. The components that have been exhibited in the pie chart engage all the sources of carbon footprint irrespective of the organizational and household emissions, but the activities can also be linked with an organization. It can be better understood through an example. Recreation and leisure that have 14% contribution on the carbon footprint can be linked with an organization. A recent trend says that all the companies have entertainment arrangements for their employees and chief customers. Therefore, besides the individuals, organizations also have contributions in the source of recreation and leisure. The direct or the indirect greenhouse gas emissions generated from all the activities of the organization are measured under the business or organizational carbon footprint. It can be further classified under the three factors which are described as follows: Direct Emissions: It indicates those activities that are under the control of the organizations. It encompasses manufacturing and process emissions, refrigerant losses, on-site fuel combustion and company vehicles. Indirect Emissions: Indirect emissions are beyond the control of the organizations. It includes the emissions from heat, steam or the electrics that are purchased and used by the organizations. There are few other sources that are not directly controlled by the organizations: waste disposal, employee business travel, water usage, outsourced transportation, employee commuting and others. Under the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, direct emission and the indirect emissions that arise from electricity can be considered. However, regarding the other indirect emissions, there is discretion (Carbon Trust, 2011). In the above paragraphs, general causes of generating carbon emission have been discussed. It also includes the construction industry, but certain specific aspects of construction industry will now be discussed that increase the carbon emission. Wastes have been generated through the resources that are used while constructing buildings. Even it produces potentially harmful atmospheric emissions. In this note, few statistics related to the construction of building in the United States can be presented (WBDG Sustainable Committee, 2004). Source: (WBDG Sustainable Committee, 2004). Requirement to Reduce Carbon Footprint in an Organization There are various organizations operating in the society and they are the inseparable part of the community. Hence, management of all the organization should act according to the requirement of the community and must adopt best possible techniques for the betterment of the community. It is evident that carbon emission badly affects the human as well as wildlife. Therefore, it can be recommended that each and every organization should develop strategy to reduce carbon emission generated by their organizations. Furthermore, they can take initiative to minimize the carbon footprint of the society as a broader perspective and can consider it as a component of corporate social responsibility. Apart from this fact, the company can be benefited while reducing carbon footprint as follows: Enhanced Energy Efficiency: To reduce carbon and greenhouse gas emission a company needs to efficiently manage its energy. Thus, by default the company can gain energy efficiency. Lower Operating Cost: As to ensure lower carbon emission the organization needs to manage its resources and energies properly, the company can attain lower operating cost. Moreover, for adopting renewable energy model, it requires to count on negligible variable costs for sunshine and wind. Minimization of Risk: The liabilities related to the competing products in the short supply such as oil and water can be avoided and thus risk can be decreased. Meet the requirement of the Stakeholders: Demands of the stakeholder varies from different shareholders. But according to the recent trend most of the external stakeholders raised environmental demands such as government, bankers, society and others. Through reducing carbon footprint their requirements can be met. Gain attraction of the Customers: Commitments towards the reduction of carbon footprint and its proper execution enable the company to effectively demonstrate their social responsibility towards the society. It leads to customer engagements which are profitable for any organization. Develop Internal Relationship: Since an organization can improve its image through taking initiatives to reduce carbon emission, it can attract good number of personnel. Even managers can motivate their employees through demonstrating the health benefits acquired by them. Attain Future Requirements: Through taking initiatives to reduce carbon footprint, a company can attain future legislation and regulations from transport and packaging. Even they can develop good relationships with the suppliers after indentifying the most suitable suppliers in terms of environmental aspects (Carbon Footprint Expert, n.d.). A Critical Appraisal of Renewable Energy Technologies Before appraising the renewable energy sources, it is important to understand the concept of the particular term. Renewable energy sources can be considered as the sources that are recurrently replenished. The sources are wind, water, geothermal sources, biomass sources and the sun. In this note, it is important to demonstrate the non-renewable energies. These energies are those that cannot be replenished once deposited. Coal, natural gas and oil are few common examples of non-renewable energies. For the purpose of generating electricity, providing cooling, light and heating and to manufacture power vehicles both renewable and non-renewable energies are used. It indicates that while operating a business both kinds of energies are required. As most of the counties are concerned about the environmental issues therefore, it is quite obvious that they will prefer the option that will generate comparatively less carbon emission. Hence, it can be recommended to use renewable energies to operate the trading and manufacturing concerns. Sources of renewable energy vary widely in their availability in the United States and cost effectiveness. It is true that most of the renewable energy can appear free but cost incurs while collecting, transporting and harnessing the energy. Therefore, it is important to judge its cost-effectiveness. It is true that renewable energy are themselves non-polluting, but pollution may occur while developing the structures to harness them and it can leave both positive and negative impact on the environment. It can be better understood with an example. Fish migration may be affected due to the construction of the dams, but at the same time it can create wildlife habitat. Different sources of the renewable energy can be explained briefly. Hydropower It indicates the process of generating electricity through water, which is the most common source of renewable energy in the US. Electricity produced this way is known as hydroelectricity and 7% electricity of the United States is produced in this way. A micro-hydroelectric power system can produce sufficient electricity for an organization. Presence of hydropower electricity in an area can attract the industries at large as it is one of the least expensive sources. Wind Power In recent years, wind power has become an increasingly striking source of renewable energy. It is the fastest-growing energy technology across the world. Only 1% of the electricity is supplied by the wind power in the United States. It has been expected that in the near future supply of the wind power will be increased. Wind power is the environment friendly source of energy as it produces energy without creating any pollution, but it also has negative impact on the environment as it is one of the reasons of the wildlife deaths. The organizations can be economically benefited through adopting this source of energy. Solar Power The energy provided by the sun is utilized to develop solar technologies. Solar technologies can be utilized for providing electricity, light, heat and hot water and cooling for the businesses, homes and industries. In spite of having significant potential for delivering energies, less than 1% energy requirements of the US are met by the solar power. The reason behind it is its cost. Solar power is twice costly than the electricity from fossil fuels. Another issue with solar power is its operating hours. Solar power is effective only in the day light. In opposed to that other sources can generate energy throughout the entire day. Therefore, it can be recommended that in comparison to the other sources, this renewable energy will not be economical for the businesses. Geothermal Power Geothermal power is the way to generate electricity through using the ‘natural sources of heat inside the earth’. Recently, most of the geothermal technologies are produced through using hot water or steam from the underground. Unlike the solar power, in this case power supply is continuously available, but on the dark side it generates few emissions. In the United States three kinds of geothermal technologies are used namely direct-use systems, geothermal heat pumps and deep reservoirs. There are several uses of the geothermal hot water. It is useful for heating buildings, drying crops, raising plants in greenhouses, heating water for the fish farms and many others. It has been observed that use of geothermal energy is reliable, efficient and environment friendly, but still 1% energy requirement of the US cannot be met by this renewable source of energy. Biomass Power The energy obtained from the plants and its derived material is known as the biomass power. It has two important benefits. Firstly, it is considered as the second most important source for the renewable energy in the United States. Moreover, it has significant contribution on the waste management infrastructure. In this note, it is important to include the fact that energy crops such as grasses and trees together with the ‘high-efficiency conversion technologies’ can provide a better supplement for the fossil fuel’s consumption. Wood is used for the energy long before any other biomass source. It has been acknowledged by several researchers that biomass power is useful for reducing the global warming as biomass fuels ‘recycle atmospheric carbon’. This source of renewable energy is quite close to carbon-neutral electric power production option. Generally, it absorbs the carbon dioxide from the environment while growing and emits carbon dioxide during the process of generating electricity. Biodiesel is produced by processing the animal fat, recycled cooking grease and vegetable oil. Hence, it can be used as an additive to minimize the emissions from vehicle or it can also be utilized as the renewable substitute for diesel engines (National Atlas, 2011). Initial Process of Implementing Renewable Energy Techniques It is necessary to implement renewable energy in the business, but prior to the implementation it is essential to reduce the total energy requirement of the building, which can be electricity, hot water, space heating and others. This goal can be achieved through incorporating low energy and passive solar design techniques. Along with that, it is also necessary to take appropriate energy efficiency measures. For the reconstruction of the old building, it is necessary to determine the sources from where carbon emission has occurred and accordingly the construction company should discard that particular source and must implement energy efficient technologies. To determine the carbon emission different new measurement techniques can be used and ‘Standard Assessment Procedure’ (SAP) is one of the best techniques for the domestic schemes. In the above passages, appraisal of the renewable technologies and the initial process of assessing the renewable energy requirement have been discussed. From the analysis, certain important renewable energy technologies can be pointed out as follows: Ground source heating/ cooling Photovoltaic (PV) Biomass heating/ biomass CHP Solar thermal (solar water heating) Wind turbine (stand-alone or roof mounted) (Cheshire West and Chester, 2006) Gas Fired Boilers Biomass Fired Boilers Heat Pumps Biomass/Waste Fired Combined Heat and Power (CABE, 2011) Recommendations for the Business From the above list of the renewable energy technologies, it can be recommended to the organization to set up a wind turbine on the roof of the buildings, which will be constructed by them. The reason behind recommending this technology is its cost effectiveness. Moreover, it will not create any pollution while setting up the turbine. Another reason of choosing it is that turbine will not take much space as its width is quite shorter to be fixed in the roof of the building. In due course of time based on the circumstances, if it requires setting up of another renewable energy technology, then it can be recommended to implement biomass CHP. The reason behind recommending it is that it has sufficient contribution in the waste management infrastructure and it is an environment friendly and cost effective option. The way to reduce heat produced in a house can be diagrammatically presented as follows: Source: (Carbon Footprint, 2011). Apart from adopting these technologies, the organization should conduct certain assessment programs such as onsite energy performance assessment, carbon management strategy and planning, behavioral and carbon culture change management (Carbon Footprint, 2011). Part 2 Sustainable Development Sustainable development can be considered as the procedure of attaining the present goal of an organization without compromising the capability of the future management to achieve their requirements. Sustainable development is essential for all kinds of organizations (IISD, 1987). According to the president of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), “Smart companies believe that pursuing sustainable development can make them more competitive and more resilient to shocks” (WBCSD, 2001). Business Case for Sustainable Development The business case for the sustainable development can be demonstrated through employing certain building blocks which are briefly discussed as follows: Vision of Building Blocks I LLC Generally, vision statement is framed according to the overall perspective of the organization. But here, it will be framed based on the environmental aspects. The vision statement of the organization can be “We do not restrict our activities to the construction only but we are dedicated to endeavor every possible action for the growth of the community as well. We are committed towards developing better environment through reducing carbon emission and are trying to convert the dreams of internal and external customers into reality”. The Market Sustainable development can be best achieved through the competitive, open and international markets. Hence, it can be recommended to expand the business of the organization internationally within the timeframe of five years. At the initial stage, the market expansion can be targeted across the nation. Subsequently the initiative of the international expansion can be made. The Right Frame For each activities of the business, there must be government regulation or legal framework and to attain the sustainable development, it is necessary to abide by all those regulations and the legal frameworks. Hence, it has been decided to train all the employees and workers of the organization before incorporating a new project where all the rules and legal frameworks will be elaborately explained. It will be clearly mentioned that violation of the rules will subject to punitive measures (WBCSD, 2001). Eco Efficiency The management of the organization should develop such a strategy with which it can be benefited through creating more value with negligible cost. To achieve it, management needs to consolidate the financial and environmental performance. In this note, it can be suggested to the organization to publish environmental reports every year along with the annual reports (WBCSD, 2001). Learning to Change Certain transformation should be brought into the entire corporation through gaining experiences. It will make the company more competitive. Hence, it can be recommended to the management of the organization to go for business process reengineering (BPR) after a time period of two years (WBCSD, 2001). Informing and Providing Consumer Options It is important for a construction company to become prominent among the society in order to get orders. Therefore, the organization should build up a strategy that should consist of the social and environmental effects as the general people can get benefited. Hence, it can be proposed to the higher authority of the organization to adopt proper waste management plan, steps to reduce carbon emission and others. To gain the attraction of the customers, the organization needs to advertise its products through the most popular media, i.e. television. However, there is no meaning of promoting without the readiness to deliver better quality products. Therefore, the organization should ensure to construct energy efficient and eco-friendly buildings. By conducting a big charitable event every year, the company can not only update their existing customers with their new projects and future initiatives but also make the probable customers aware of their existence (WBCSD, 2002). Corporate Social Responsibilities Corporate social responsibility (CSR) can be defined as the commitment of the business not only towards the society but also towards all its stakeholders and especially the employees and their families. It is a fundamental concept that can be redesigned with the passage of time and changing requirements. Regarding the CSR strategy primarily, it can be recommended to the Building Blocks I LLC to revise and understand its values and visions. Subsequently they can build up corporate social strategy. The work procedure of the construction work is quite risky. Hence, it will be advisable to consider its employees as the best assets for the business and therefore, arrangements for fringe benefits for the employees need to be done. Moreover, the management should opt for external reporting that accountability towards all the stakeholders can be ensured (WBCSD, 2002). Innovation According to the recent history, the wealthier countries used to restrict their consumption level through less wastage of resources. It welcomes the sustainability. It is a recognized fact that the people or the organization that looks for sustainability can transform the forms of consumption and to bring it, innovation is required. Innovation is always considered as the way to get competitive advantages. Hence, it can be recommended to the organization to undertake innovative techniques in its each project. The construction procedure should be such that either less energy should be consumed or more energy can be consumed with lower carbon intensity. It can be achieved in a better manner through implementing renewable energies. In this note, it can be recommended to adopt varied renewable energy techniques for different projects according to its location as availability of sources of renewable energy and its cost effectiveness need to be checked. It implies that the construction procedure needs to be flexible in order that all kinds of innovative techniques can be implemented. This is true with other sources as well, especially the raw material. Innovative techniques of consuming raw materials need to be developed. Thus, sustainability can be attained in near future (WBCSD, 2002). Reflecting the Worth of the Earth The financial values of the goods and services can be effectively reflected through the pricing mechanism. The business and the civil society groups should associate with such activities through which they can encourage the right market framework. Moreover, they need to establish such prices in ways that can reduce the wastage of resources and pollution. This should be true with Building Blocks I LLC (WBCSD, 2002). Benefits of Sustainable Development The benefits of the sustainable developments are as follows: Efficiency of resources can be improved Developing future market opportunities Encouraging new ways of thinking and innovation Establishing better stakeholder relationship (Perceval, 2004) Waste Management Plan for Building Blocks I LLC The preparation of the waste management plan is essential in order to acquire sustainable waste management. The main purpose of preparing the plan is to provide an outline of waste streams and along with that its treatment options. While developing the plan it is necessary to consider several parties such as politicians, public organizations, administrative staff and planers and others. During the framing of the waste management plan, it is necessary to take into consideration both the national waste management plan and local waste management plan. The structure of a well organized waste management plan takes into account the following factors: Compliance with Waste Policy Target achievement Outliner of waste characteristic Capacity of managing waste Control of technological measures Economical position Investment requirement Certain waste management issues may arise and as a solution it requires the involvement of several authorities. A coherent planning is always useful to ignore the ‘unnecessary duplication of effort’ (European Commission Environment DG, 2003). Background Present Scenario of the USA According to the estimation of the US EPA, in the year of 1998, annual building related waste generation was 136 million tons, which acquired almost 25% to 40% of the ‘national solid waste stream’. Again the 2003 update depicts the increase to 164,000 million tons annually. It can even be broken up as 9% construction waste, 53% demolition debris and 38% renovation waste. According to EPA, only 20% of the construction waste and demolition debris (C&D Waste) is being recycled. Hence, it suggests an immense potential for improvement (Napier, 2011). Objective of the Plan The basic objective of this plan is to restrict the amount of construction waste produced through several projects undertaken by the organization. Contributions of the sub-contractors and the material suppliers are also huge in this regard as the excess materials supplied by them generate unnecessary construction waste. Hence, the primary motto of the plan is to defeat the surplus supply. The entire effort should be undertaken to restrict, split, sort, accumulate, dispose and reuse of the construction waste material of the organization. It is not necessary to send the materials off site every time; instead it needs to be used in such a way that an alternative way of using can be generated. Moreover, each and every employee of the organization will be trained properly to get accustomed with the plan and ensure effective execution of this plan. Violation of the plan will be a matter of notifying all the employees and the other constructions related stakeholders of the organization. It has also been intended to display the plan on the construction job sites all the time (Clayco, n.d.). Construction Contract Requirements The management or the higher authority of the organization needs to determine the process through which the waste management requirement can be corresponded to the contract document and can easily incorporate into each and every project undertaken by the organization. It can be achieved in three ways. Firstly, the waste reduction goal can be provided to the suppliers. The maximum requirement of the material can be specified and most importantly an incentive structure can be framed to reward the suppliers based on the minimum contribution on the waste materials (Napier, 2011). Time Schedule of the Waste Management Plan Generally, the waste management plan will be applicable with each of the construction project and its proposed time plan. But the process of recycling the wastes can take place even after completion of a project or between two construction projects. For the reconstruction projects initial six months need to be dedicated to sort out and dispose of the demolition debris as reconstruction of a building is subject to huge destruction. A separate time plan should be developed for each project and a continuous assessment of project and actual time plan need to be done. The time plan should include separation, collection, disposal and recycling of the waste material (European Commission Environment DG, 2003). Relationship with Other Plans and Policies While working on the waste management plan, different planning areas need to be considered. The preparation and the execution of the waste management plan need to be conducted in such a way that following aspects can be covered. Local responsibilities and regulations need to be specially taken care of Environmental planning should be considered and must ensure the achievement of certain environmental goals Should consider energy planning to use the waste as a fuel Execution of waste collection and treatment should not leave negative impacts on workers, hence occupational health need to be taken into consideration (European Commission Environment DG, 2003). Status Part In the first year of implementation of this plan, there will be no requirement of the status report but from the second year onwards, it will be required. The waste collection and the treatment system need to be described in the financial, physical and organizational terms. Every year a target will be set, which needs to be assessed in order to fulfill the targets and would be recorded in this part. The estimated figures and information for this year are demonstrated in terms of three broad heads: Waste Streams The sources of the generation of waste in the organization and the undertaken projects can be bricks, excavation material, tiles, green waste, concrete, asbestos, plasterboard, metals, timber and other wastes (Parramatta City Council, n.d.). Waste Quantities Amount of waste can be explained in terms of the area (m2) utilized, volume (m3) used or in terms of total weights (t). The actual amount will be shown in Table 1 in the implementation section. Waste Collection and Treatment The waste from several job sites will be collected through the personal vehicles of the organization. Three kinds of transportation medium will be used. The first one will carry the waste material and dispose it into the landfill. Secondly, a truck will be utilized to load all the waste material which will be sent to certain recycling companies. The third one will be a small car that will be used for transporting the materials that can be reused in a separate project. Planning Part Buying and Storing Material Certain factors need to be ensured and properly managed prior to the implementation of the plan. While issuing the order for the material, the organization should accurately measure the quantity it requires. The management should ensure the ‘just in time’ deliveries to minimize the material and storage losses. The supplier should be certified by the environmental standards. Moreover, the packaging material that will be used to bring the material on site must be recycled. The damaged and on site deliveries need to be rejected immediately. The area for storage must be secured and waterproof (where required) (Clacks Web, 2011). Make the Plan Cost Effective To make it cost effective each and every step of the plan should be properly taken care of. Demolition: Effective conversion of the demolition waste into a resource. Pre-Design Plan: The recycled contents of the material can be discarded from the material cost and can be demonstrated as the corporate social responsibility. Simple design and Proper Specifications: The design of the building should be lean and modular and standard component sizes can be predetermined to reduce the amount of wastage. Maintain Tender Specification: Minimum packaging and unused material should be criteria selecting tender (DEFRA, 2008). Implementation Part Each and every part of this plan should be executed in an effective manner and along with that few other inseparable aspects can be implemented, which will be explained in this part. Meeting: Just before commencing a project, an initial meeting should be held among the project leader, owners, suppliers, an expert waste management planner and other important stakeholders. The topics that will be discussed in the meeting should be as follows: Plan requirements An assessment of waste handling procedures Location of dumpsters Discussion regarding responsibility of moving waste from the building to applicable bins Discussion regarding cross contamination of waste Waste segregation requirements (ABC Construction Company, n.d.) Training Session To bring drastic changes in the work procedure for reducing the amount of wastage, it is necessary to provide proper training to the employees and workers as they can get easily accustomed with the implanted process (Clacks Web, 2011). Waste Segregation Waste segregation is an important part of the waste management. It may not be possible for all the projects to segregate the wastes and keep them in separate areas due to the shortage of area. Hence, it can be recommended to appoint a licensed waste management company to take care of the wastes and separate the valuable materials that can be resold or reused (Clacks Web, 2011). Maintenance Activities To carry the wastes and segregate the waste material, it has been intended to shift the waste hauling container according to the construction activities. It may happen that in two sites or more than two sites constructions are going on. In that case, it can be recommended to outsource the hauling container for one place (Clayco, n.d.). References of Report 1 CABE, 2011. Choosing Low Carbon and Renewable Technologies. Resources. [Online] Available at: http://www.cabe.org.uk/sustainable-places/advice/low-carbon-and-renewable-technologies [Accessed February 15, 2011]. Carbon Trust, 2011. Carbon Footprinting. Cut Carbon and Reduce Costs. 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