Energy & Infrastructure

The Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) announced on August 24 that it will present Chris Carter, creator and showrunner of The X-Files, with its Industry Builder Award for his efforts to make the production of this year's X-Files event series as environmentally sustainable as possible. The production team's work behind the scenes led to major cost and carbon emission savings and promoted innovative new ways to recycle set materials. Carter will accept the award at a VIFF luncheon on October 7.

Water conservation is nothing new. Many organizations in this space have encouraged hotels to conserve water for years – we even wrote about it for World Water Day last year. We have seen many hotels update their fixtures to ensure that they have reduced flow and flush in their bathrooms, and some are even recycling rainwater, but have you thought about taking it to the next level?

UPS has always been an early adopter of innovative technologies. In the early 1930s, we introduced electric vehicles into our fleet. Today, we operate one of the industry’s largest private alternative fuel and advanced technology fleets made up of more than 7,200 low-emission vehicles.

The Miami-Dade County building code requires commercial buildings to enclose their first 30 feet in impact-resistant glass so as to withstand damage from high winds and flying objects during a hurricane. The developers of Miami’s 1450 Brickell office tower decided to go one better, enclosing the entire 35-story building in impact-resistant glass. According to a 2015 report from the Urban Land Institute, when the tower was finished in 2010, it had “the strongest curtain wall window system of any commercial building in the nation.”

For years, those working in the water industry have realized a truth that is now reaching a broader audience – water is woefully underpriced.

There is a renewed focus on the price of water infrastructure, prompted in part, by declining consumption, according to Ann Bui, Managing Director for water services in Black & Veatch’s management consulting business. As efficient water appliances have become more prevalent, consumption per capita has decreased. Conservation efforts in areas where water scarcity is a major concern have further pushed the decline.

As summer continues, Versaic's Energy clients are powering the way with their CSR initiatives. We have picked some of the highlights from their various giving programs to share with you- we hope their good work will inspire you in your quest for making an impact in your community!

Ball Corporation’s fifth biennial sustainability report details the company’s progress toward its updated priorities – product stewardship, operational excellence, talent management and community ambassadors – and sets a clear path for the future with 10 new ambitious goals to be achieved by 2020.