HOUSTON - With a growing emphasis on energy conservation within the federal government, the built environment represents a sector with significant opportunities to reduce the nation’s energy consumption. The National Academies of Sciences’ Federal Facilities Council (FFC), in conjunction with the International Facility Management Association (IFMA), hosted a joint policy forum in Washington, D.C., Sept. 11, to focus on efficient energy use in buildings.

The third annual Public Policy Forum presented legislators with emerging issues and best practices relating to sustainability in facility management. The forum offered a variety of individual presentations, with topics of discussion including energy-efficient solutions for the built environment, the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from commercial buildings, and the challenges related to creating and supporting sustainable initiatives.

“This event presents a unique opportunity to facilitate dialogue between public and private sector leaders about sustainability in the built environment and to discuss legislative and policy trends,” said Jeffrey Johnson, director of Government Relations, IFMA.

“This year’s forum addressed the driving forces behind recent energy legislation and energy-efficiency requirements while attempting to evaluate the intentions of Congress and the administration in meeting these requirements.”

The forum was coordinated with the second annual Facilities Management Workshop, a joint venture between IFMA, the FFC, and the Society of American Military Engineers. Held Sept. 9-10 at the Washington Marriott in downtown Washington, D.C., the workshop focused on issues facing senior facility managers in the public sector as well as the latest industry trends and best practices.

For more information, visit www.ifma.org.

Publication date: 09/22/2008