Stephanie Hays Gabriel’s Post

Next version of the LEED green building rating system will drive deep decarbonization, quality of life improvements, and ecological conservation and restoration

Next iteration of the LEED green building rating system will drive deep decarbonization, quality of life improvements and ecological conservation and restoration.

Recent water infrastructure emergencies in Atlanta underscore the growing concern I’ve had that we’re not doing enough to integrate with the ecological systems we’re part of in urban design and planning. I’m hoping my sustainability colleagues out there can share some inspiration. I am encouraged to see that LEED v5 seems to be shifting toward a greater emphasis on preservation and restoration. I’m proud that Georgia is in the top five U.S. states for number of LEED buildings; however, we need to push hard on innovation for watershed health and resilience which is critical for climate resilience as well. In Metro Atlanta, we have an amazing system of colleges and universities that should be engaged to the fullest in defining problems and creating integrated solutions for ecological resilience in the context of cities. And we need to stop settling for less in how our communities get built.

Today is World Environment Day. This year’s theme is ‘Our Land. Our future’, focusing on land restoration, desertification and drought resilience. A number of years ago at our Gaskell Sand Quarry in Western Australia, we decided to restore what the natural vegetation was, which is Banksia Woodlands. We partnered with researchers at the Kings Park & Botanic Gardens Authority in WA to achieve successful regeneration and land restoration outcomes for Banksia Woodlands. As we celebrate World Environment Day, we reflect on our efforts from this restoration project and look forward to sharing more projects that highlight our commitment to sustainability. Watch our case study: https://lnkd.in/g9HGnVwG #GenerationRestoration #WorldEnvironmentDay #LandRestoration #Sustainability

Recognizing Earth Day ~ the greenest building is the one already built. 🌎♻️🌱 Historic preservation is a leader in sustainable practices. Repurposing historic buildings creates significantly less "embodied energy" when compared to the energy costs needed to create new construction. As noted by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, "reinvestment in historic districts and communities also promotes reuse of existing infrastructure and supports areas that generally are walkable and have good transit access options." In line with other conservation initiatives, reusing our existing historic built environment can play a key role in sustaining a healthy planet. For more information, please see: “The Greenest Building: Quantifying the Environmental Value of Building Reuse,” (Washington, D.C.: Preservation Green Lab, National Trust for Historic Preservation, 2011). Photo courtesy of National Trust for Historic Preservation.

We are increasingly looking for more ways to increase density in existing middle and inner ring suburbs to mitigate horizontal and vertical sprawl. This is also an important moment to move away from heavy construction to lightweight mass timber technology. With high construction costs and low risk development culture this requires support and partnership between industry and government to increase capacity in the sector. #BZE This is an opportunity to link HAFF funding / Super / social impact investing with climate objectives to facilitate a medium density development sector with strong environmental (and cost effective/commercially sustainable) construction products and techniques. Earthworker Construction Co-operative Nestd Heidi Lee Angelica Rojas-Gracia, PhD Marco Cubillos Dr Dominique Hes Tim Riley Matthew Daly Jeremy McLeod Brendan Condon Oscar McLennan Tripple

Congratulations to all involved in the Nature North conference in #Newcastle today. It was a privilege to be among such a creative and forward-thinking group of professionals. Setting the compass for #naturerecovery, #netzero, #naturepositive, #culture, #enterprise, #greeneconomy. Noteworthy: 🙂 The positivity. There was a strong sense of so much work to secure the natural environment that everyone needs to thrive. But no #rants. And no #doom. Just a calm sense of getting on with a herculean task. 🤝 The inclusivity. There was no sense of any one sector holding the moral high ground. Everyone respected, from #finance to #farming, from #propertydevelopment to #localgovernment. Oh and #ecology too. 🌳 The practicality. Some superb place-based projects are underway, as evidenced by Urban Green Newcastle and The Reece Foundation. Surely this is a model for other parts of these islands. Ecosystems Knowledge Network is here to share.

How do you support the maritime industry while balancing the needs of the environment and surrounding community? In Cleveland, we’re working on the Cleveland Harbor Eastern Embayment Resilience Strategy (CHEERS) which seeks to do just that by generating waterfront access and economic growth through coastal resilience, featuring a range of sustainable solutions along the shoreline of Lake Erie. For over 70 years, there has been limited access to the water’s edge due to a transportation corridor and vertical seawalls. A new park will create a connection point to the water while simultaneously providing coastal protection, natural habitat, and recreational opportunities for the community. The CHEERS project — spearheaded by the Port of Cleveland and Cleveland Metroparks — is expansive, imaginative, and creative in its approach, not just seeking to preserve the maritime economy, mitigate hazards, and foster environmental justice, but also envisions a more holistic and fulfilling existence for the surrounding people and wildlife. Explore the project here: https://bit.ly/3XERdq3 #ClimateWeekNYC #CoastalResilience #SustainableDevelopment #WeAreArup

Learn how the CVC is planning to ecologically restore two former aggregate sites in #Caledon and transform them into future Credit Valley Parks: https://loom.ly/lFIYN8s 🌳

Today is World Environment Day.  This year’s theme is ‘Our Land. Our Future’, focusing on land restoration, desertification and drought resilience.    A number of years ago at our Gaskell Sand Quarry in Western Australia, we decided to restore what the natural vegetation was, which is Banksia Woodlands. We partnered with researchers at the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority in WA to achieve successful regeneration and land restoration outcomes for Banksia Woodlands.     As we celebrate World Environment Day, we reflect on our efforts from this restoration project and look forward to sharing more projects that highlight our commitment to sustainability.    Watch the case study here: https://lnkd.in/g9HGnVwG  #GenerationRestoration #WorldEnvironmentDay #LandRestoration #Sustainability