Sustainability at NRDC
NRDC's Workplace Strategy team reflects our mission through green building leadership and sustainable operations.
![The interior of a bright office space with large windows and green plants](/https/www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/styles/huge_16x9_100/public/media-uploads/1_sfsustainabilitypage_2400.jpg.jpg?h=a2aa609c&itok=0XMzDcWT)
Jasper Sanidad Photography
NRDC’s mission is to safeguard the earth. The Workplace Strategy team exemplifies that mission through green building leadership and sustainable operations. The team’s work—from ensuring workplace function to vetting each architectural detail—supports ecological, human, and economic health and vitality, and ultimately reflects and serves the greater mission of NRDC.
NRDC is committed to leading the green building industry through action.
We consider social, environmental, and economic impacts to guide our decision making as we manage the daily operation of our offices and oversee capital projects. Our work provides a space where NRDC’s staff take on the important responsibility of tackling today’s most urgent issues.
Walking the Talk
In all of our offices, we strive to reduce resource consumption and increase resource production. Since 2012, we have achieved:
Our Focus
By prioritizing the planet and people, we foster a collaborative and inclusive workplace, inspiring our community to strive for a sustainable future.
Sustainability
Sustainability is at the core of all our capital projects and operations. We use a sustainability framework that examines environmental, social, and economic impact to guide decision making and measure success. We do this by establishing best practices for procurement, design and construction, waste management, and leveraging leading standards for building design and waste management.
Net Positive Principles
Internally, we work to minimize and neutralize adverse environmental and social impacts while seeking rejuvenating solutions we can apply operationally. For example, all our offices are designed with nontoxic, low-waste products to decrease our environmental footprint while increasing occupant health and well-being. Externally, we aim to share best practices and create positive impacts within communities and global markets. We are transparent with our operations—open-sourcing our guidelines, standards, and performance allows other organizations to learn from our strategies and scale sustainable solutions.
Strategic Office Management
We strive to maintain healthy and productive working environments that meet rigorous green building standards. We execute projects—like installing automatic dimming lighting systems, low-flow plumbing fixtures, and comprehensive waste stations—that continually drive our desired outcomes:
- Eliminate greenhouse gas emissions
- Increase water efficiency
- Achieve zero waste
- Design for healthy buildings and people
- Increase education and engagement
- Honoring the Best, CoreNet Global News
- Sorting Out Our Recycling, Spectrum News In Focus
- How the NRDC Is Advocating for the Green Building Movement, gb&d Magazine
Our Offices
For nearly 40 years, NRDC has been leading the charge on green building adoption, successfully moving the industry forward.
Across our global operations, NRDC leverages widely respected sustainable building standards to ensure we are at the cutting edge of resource efficiency and waste diversion strategies. These standards drive progress across NRDC’s seven offices, cumulatively comprising more than 140,000 square feet.
Our Progress
NRDC has a long history of leading the industry with environmentally conscious operations.
Collaboration
NRDC aligns with organizations that share our mission to protect and restore our natural environment—from the design teams working on our construction projects to the vendors that provide our office services and supplies. We work side-by-side with our partners and are committed to transparency to help others reduce their environmental impact.