There are good reasons to considered a Green business certification and installing a sustainability officer. People think they’re healthier and more productive after moving their office space into “green” buildings, according to a recent study published on the American Journal of Public Health’s website. This is according to a USA Today article taken from Associated Press. There is more than perception involved in this equation because we know that poor indoor air quality is part of good health and good productivity. Everyone has felt the afternoon dip in energy, the nagging headache, or even sleepiness that comes without good cause.
The same article says, “The authors estimated a small benefit to employees suffering from asthma and respiratory allergies. Those people would gain 1.75 more work hours per year working in the new building because they would take less sick time. The biggest boost comes in perceived productivity. The study’s authors extrapolated that employees could each work about 39 more hours a year in the new building because of different working conditions such as better light, air quality and ventilation.”
This is not only from possible outgassing from building components and furniture in the office. Bad air is the byproduct of the cleaning service, pesticide use, poor ventilation, pollution infiltration, and the daily wear and tear of every business.
However, getting an building or office on the path to improvement does not come from casual concern. One of the notable efforts to the sustainability officer is to address the IAQ along with the many issues of making a company Green. In a holistic approach to environmental improvement, IAQ, energy reduction, water and waste management, lighting, supply chain, and numerous other issues are brought into the planning. The air quality is a factor, but so is the quality of the lighting. We have not yet touched on the carbon footprint issue or Green IT.
To solve these issues before the government start clamping down on compliance, more and more Fortune 500 companies are developing Certified Sustainability Officers (CSO) and getting them into a good training program. The best training program for any level sustainability officer is found at http://www.CertifiedSustainabilityOfficer.com or http://www.CorporateSustainabilityOfficer.com.
Existing sustainable officers are encouraged to look into The Sustainable Forum to build their resources and community impact.
