Each session is 60 minutes. Sessions are approved for 1 CEU for Designers and 1 LU for Architects. Certificates are available post session after completing a 10-question quiz.

Commercial facility management, real estate and design topics are addressed in these NeoCon on-site sessions in the tracks for Workplace/Sustainability/Industry Directions:

Good Leads the Way: United Airlines Headquarters Decarbonization Journey: The renovation and restack of 13 floors at the United Airlines headquarters in Chicago created a hybrid workplace infused with a dynamic energy that reinforces employee pride. This space brings together staff through shared experiences connected to United’s brand story: an airline where Good Leads the Way.

Wellness Real Estate: Supercharging Transformation & Growth: Wellness is emerging as a critical catalyst for growth. This on-site CEU will explore how design that intentionally supports the holistic health of users elevates individual and community well-being and unlocks significant market opportunities. Drawing from Gensler’s research, the session will define and survey a $580 billion U.S. Wellness Real Estate Market and its expansion across the workplace, multifamily residential, hospitality, and retail sectors.

Transforming Buildings into Material Resources: Demolition projects have a significant impact on climate change due to the energy and resources required, as well as the emissions created during the process. Material recovery through deconstruction is an unparalleled opportunity for reducing embodied carbon, while also diverting construction waste, reducing exposure to toxic pollutants, protecting natural resources, and creating green jobs.

How Can Science Make Us All More Creative. Really. In an era where information floods our senses and technology reshapes thinking patterns, the ability to focus has become a precious resource. Our physical surroundings play a key role in enhancing or hindering individual and group creative capabilities. This session explores how scientific research into environmental psychology is leveraged to create spaces that support focus and creativity. From ambient sounds to colors, natural materials, light, and spatial configuration, our environments shape creative potential. Understanding these principles isn’t just about designing better workplaces—it’s about creating environments that help navigate information while maintaining the clarity for innovative thinking.

Virtual sessions in the facilities management track:

FF&E Changes in Sports Spaces: Mercedes-Benz Stadium Clubs: Using case study examples from Mercedes-Benz Stadium’s Field Level VIP Clubs, this panel will take a deep dive into navigating the changing landscape of furniture in public assembly spaces. The dynamic group of experts will discuss client expectations and best practices for specifying the right product for the application – extending beyond aesthetics and considering factors such as durability, mobility, accessibility and functionality. As conversions teams are constantly reconfiguring spaces, the session will address approaches to finishes and features to facilitate versatile, multi-use public environments, and to deliver high quality visitor experiences. This panel will discuss how to champion sustainability and community connections. Panelists will underscore proactive communication across the project’s lifecycle, best practices for engaging complex stakeholder networks and a pipeline for continued client communication after installation and solving for arising issues.

Moving Towards Circularity: A Playbook for Sustainable Furniture Planning & Specifications: Think sustainable furniture planning has to be overwhelming, costly or impractical? Think again! This session empowers facility owners, designers, and specifiers with tools and strategies to simplify sustainability and make a measurable impact–and (gasp!) maybe even enjoy the process.

Discover how informed selections, certified materials, and sustainable practices lead to smarter choices that boost durability, extend furniture life, and keep items out of landfills–while saving money and improving budget efficiency. We’ll guide you through RFPs, procurement, and change management, transforming these steps into powerful tools for creating healthier spaces and minimizing environmental harm.

Whether you’re tackling large-scale projects or refining your specification process, this session offers practical strategies to achieve financial savings. Leave with fresh ideas, useful tools, and the confidence to make impactful decisions that save resources and create lasting value.

The Industry Directions, Sustainability and Wellness tracks feature these sessions:

Behavior by Design: Can Design Make Us Better People?: Beyond aesthetics, well designed environments impacts everyone and enables us to enjoy: Improved wellbeing, business and medical outcomes; reduced isolation loneliness and crime; safe neighborhoods and strong communities. Conversely, bad design can interfere with all of these. Data collected in & on spaces reveals correlations between spatial design and human behavior. Can designers tune design for desired human behavior? Should we? Who decides? This session will present projects and research that illustrate the outcome of spatial design on its occupants and the potential for design-orchestrated behavior. The session will invite audience members into discussion on the implications for the possible future of design.

Building Products Selection & Procurement: The release of LEED V5 this year represents the boldest major update for materials and products in over a decade. The material selection landscape is changing each day, and those designing as well as specifying finishes, furniture, flooring, etc. are placing a critical lens on the process taken to affect change in the built environment. This session will cover what’s new for V5 and how to maximize points in the new rating system. You will hear from USGBC staff and members of the LEED Technical Advisory Group who helped launch the new rating system. USGBC will discuss the Building Product Selection & Procurement credit, which is rooted in the impact areas of LEED Version 5. Members of the Materials & Resources Technical Advisory Group will address the ways in which the criteria areas, which have been intentionally aligned with the Mindful Materials Common Materials Framework, will impact the industry from the perspective of those designing, specifying and manufacturing.

Creating Long-Term Value from the Experience Design Process: When architecture, interior design, technology, signage, and service design are coordinated separately, the result is a fragmented experience for users. And as organizations expand, this siloed approach to design results in a broader sense of inconsistency, affecting trust, loyalty, and satisfaction. The solution to this fragmentation and inconsistency is experience design: an integrated, human-centered, place-oriented approach that brings all design disciplines together. While many organizations are going through the process of experience design, they are missing a crucial piece of the puzzle: how to maintain that value over time. The key? Experience design guidelines that turn experiential thinking into a set of actionable and adaptable outcomes. This session explores how both organizations and designers can create, implement, and continuously update experience design guidelines to maximize long-term ROI.

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The Universal Fiber Systems team and Board of Directors are excited to welcome Jonathan Craig as our new CEO. Jonathan’s extensive expertise in fiber technologies and global business strategy, shaped by key leadership roles within our supply chain ecosystem, makes him an excellent choice to lead UFS into its next chapter.

Marc Ammen, outgoing CEO and Executive Board Chair

Craig succeeds Marc Ammen, who is retiring after over fifteen years as CEO and twenty-five years with Universal Fiber Systems. Under Ammen’s leadership, UFS achieved significant growth, establishing global manufacturing sites and completing key acquisitions, including Sapona Yarns and Fiber Innovation Technologies. Ammen will continue to serve as Executive Chair of the Board of Directors.

Craig joins Universal Fiber Systems from Ascend Performance Materials, where he most recently served as Vice President of Polymers and Fibers. During his tenure, he was instrumental in delivering significant profit growth by driving operational efficiency, customer-focused innovation, and industry-leading sustainability initiatives. He led the transformation of a specialty chemicals division and previously held senior roles in supply chain and finance at Ascend. Earlier in his career, Craig also held leadership positions at Bigler LP and Biogen Idec.

His appointment comes at a pivotal time for UFS, as the company expands its global footprint and now serves twenty-seven end markets through targeted investments and strategic acquisitions.

I’m honored to join Universal Fiber Systems and lead such a talented and dedicated team. UFS has a strong history of innovation and serving diverse customer needs. I’m excited to build on that legacy and work closely with our teams and customers to create meaningful solutions for the future. This opportunity is not just a professional milestone but also a meaningful transition for my family. I’m grateful for the support of my wife Elizabeth and our four children as we begin this next chapter together.

Jonathan Craig

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May 13, 2025 –

Over the past three years, the BIFMA e3 Subcommittee — comprising a diverse group of BIFMA members, government agencies, architects, designers, and other industry stakeholders — collaboratively reimagined the standard. The rigorous revision process began with a pilot review and continued through two cycles of association ballots followed by two ANSI ballots. Each phase generated invaluable feedback that helped shape a more transparent, accessible and performance-driven standard.

Key guiding principles during the revision included:

• Simplification of the standard: Streamlining requirements for clarity and ease of implementation
• Establishment of minimum requirements per tier: Transitioning from a credit-based system to clearly defined minimum standards for each performance level
• Alignment with key partners: Maintaining strong consistency with foundational sustainability frameworks such as LEED, WELL and ILFI

As a result, the updated standard introduces several significant enhancements:

• LEVEL 4 achievement: Establishing a new milestone for industry excellence and innovation
• Climate-positive criteria: Pushing the envelope of sustainability by advancing beyond neutrality
• Chemical optimization: Implementing a class-based approach that sets stringent criteria for chemical management

The revised framework builds successively from foundational policies and inventories (Level 1) through assessments and, ultimately, optimization, culminating in the industry-leading benchmarks set by Level 4.

Mendy Claridge, e3 Subcommittee Chair and Director Program Management and Transformation at Kimball International, stated:

This revision represents a bold step forward for sustainable furniture design and manufacturing. By streamlining the requirements and integrating progressive criteria, this allows the industry to meet market sustainability demands while aligning with complementary standards globally.

BIFMA extends its sincere thanks to every individual and organization that contributed insights throughout this review process, saying that their collaboration ensured the development of a standard that not only meets current environmental challenges but also sets a visionary roadmap for the future of sustainable furniture design.

To access the ANSI/BIFMA e3-2024 Furniture Sustainability Standard and additional BIFMA standards, visit BIFMA.

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We have identified five major shifts emerging in 2025 that will reshape and simplify building management. The facility management industry is maturing into a strategic cornerstone for operations, and these trends will showcase how the role will address cybersecurity, labor shortages, sustainability, compliance, and energy efficiency.

Increased facility cybersecurity through collaboration with IT and digital partners 

Cybercrime increased by 75% in 2024 and is expected to continue rising in 2025. Increasingly sophisticated cyber criminals are looking for any way to access the systems of corporations and infrastructure providers. Breaches can range from ransom attacks targeting corporate operations to more critical attempts to infiltrate payment and financial systems. 

Facility managers working with IT to prioritize digital security will protect their operations. Implementing secure-by-design systems limits access by layering security measures, timely software updates, and isolating operational technology from broader networks. Keeping software up-to-date will be essential to combat these risks. This includes ensuring patches are up to date on all IoT edge devices and critical building infrastructure systems such as HVAC, lighting, access control systems, and other equipment that might not traditionally be considered inviting to hackers. 

Labor gaps will lead to consolidation, outsourcing and technology adoption

While facilities management is vital, the industry is experiencing a significant labor challenge. This gap is expected to widen further as fewer young people enter the field, putting more pressure on the already strained workforce, which is retiring in large numbers​.

Adopting smart energy initiatives to attract tenants 

Managing energy resources wisely, whether turning to renewable sources or adopting technology that allocates energy to address real-time conditions, can also be a selling point for office spaces. Research shows that employees in green offices are 15% more productive, which has heightened the demand for eco-conscious workplaces. In addition to contributing to environmentally friendly goals, 69% of people prioritize working in greener environments, pushing the demand for organizations to seek more eco-friendly office spaces. 

In response, building owners will continue investing in upgrades beyond traditional improvements. From innovative building technologies that enhance energy efficiency, like intelligent lighting, to renewable energy installations, such as solar panels, these features will help attract tenants to office spaces that are up for lease. These sustainable upgrades reduce the environmental footprint and create a more productive and attractive work environment. Office buildings that embrace energy-efficient systems and eco-friendly designs will become desirable for tenants seeking long-term, cost-effective solutions.

Navigating and complying with new regulations

2025 will bring many new climate regulations for buildings globally. While larger sustainability teams may have the resources to stay ahead of these requirements, smaller teams could struggle to balance operations while working to understand unclear regulatory demands. Surveys show that only 25% of organizations are ready for upcoming regulations and reporting. 

Many building owners are navigating the uncertain landscape of upcoming regulations. Understanding and implementing strategies to meet compliance will take up more of the facilities and energy teams’ limited time. However, those who seek technological solutions that support energy reporting demands will be in a better position to handle any changes in the regulatory climate. Being proactive will allow teams to benefit from the efficiencies and lower costs of software designed to track and manage energy costs. 

Preparing for the potential of rapidly increasing energy costs 

The reality of digitalization drives the increasing need for global data centers worldwide. This surge draws increasing attention to their energy consumption and carbon impact, pressing the adoption of more sustainable solutions.

In response, facility managers are consolidating resources and increasingly outsourcing key functions to manage day-to-day operations effectively​. However, despite these strategies, the gap in skilled labor combined with rising demand calls for rethinking traditional operations. Industry leaders recognize the importance of investing in comprehensive training programs to develop the next generation of professionals. Like many labor problems throughout history, people will need technology to help close the gap. Leaders in outsourced operations will embrace new technology to empower the few to do more.

The heightened energy usage has already prompted a shift towards innovations like hybrid cooling systems and AI-integrated infrastructure, which will continue to evolve in 2025​. These advancements will take center stage as industry leaders recognize the critical need to align data center growth with sustainable energy practices.

As a result, building owners and facility managers may see their energy costs increase, and it will continue to be essential to maintain efficient operations through the use of traditional sustainability solutions as well as software solutions. As we move through 2025, cybersecurity, labor shortages, sustainability, increasing regulation, and the need to reduce energy consumption will be at the top of everyone’s priority list. 

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Since acquiring Solatube International, a worldwide manufacturer and marketer of tubular skylights, in 2021, Kingspan Light + Air now offers a full range of standard and custom daylighting solutions built to perform across a wide array of conditions. The new Architectural Solutions Team was created to provide a more personalized client experience and help navigate the various daylighting solution options to inspire commercial architects, engineers and specifiers to leverage the power of daylighting to design the best customer experiences in the market.

Kyle McEnroe, vice president of Sales at Kingspan Light + Air, explained:

In addition to offering robust digital access and sales support, the new Architectural Solutions Team will act as a comprehensive project partner for our clients, delivering the best customer service experience in the market. Whether it’s a facility modernization or a start-from-scratch new design, our Architectural Solutions Team can determine the most effective daylighting solution to provide outstanding and groundbreaking annual daylighting performance for energy-savings and occupant health and well-being.

The new group, which currently covers California, Texas, Florida, Washington, Oregon, Tennessee and Georgia, will provide daylighting product education, integrated design solutions and full-service support from project start to finish. Services will include daylight modeling and system performance analysis, specification writing and development, preliminary structural review, and compliance and testing documentation.

To learn more about the Architectural Solutions Team, visit Kingspan.

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Key metrics reported include:

• 1.5 billion industry-grade 1-liter plastic bottles saved by Green Seal-certified professional cleaning products annually;
• 3.2 million metric tons of CO2 emissions saved by Green Seal-certified sanitary paper annually — the equivalent of taking 800,000 cars off the road;
• 7.9 million schoolchildren protected from toxic chemicals/asthma triggers in cleaning products last year; and
• 500,000 lbs. of organochlorine water contamination avoided by Green Seal-certified sanitary paper annually.

The report also highlights Green Seal’s new partnerships with Google, Amazon, USGBC, the International WELL Building Institute and others.  Readers can find the link to the report at the end of this page, and a blog from Green Seal CEO Doug Gatlin and Board Chair Christina Martin below.

Announcing Green Seal’s 2022 Impact Report

By Doug Gatlin, Green Seal CEO, and Christina Martin, Green Seal Board Chair

Over the past year, the topic of indoor air quality has captured our conversations in a way few would have dreamed of before the pandemic. As the world tries to find a new equilibrium, the health and safety profiles of the schools, offices, and public spaces we are returning to has never been more important.

This is a moment that was made for Green Seal, which has always applied science to help people navigate toward choices that promote healthy indoor environments. Over the past year, Green Seal launched standards, certifications, and resources to make it easier for everyone to find safer, healthier products and create spaces where people can thrive during the pandemic and beyond.

Among the most impactful of these initiatives is Green Seal’s Healthy Green Schools & Colleges, the first national healthy-air standard for school facilities. With an accessible learn-as-you-go structure and a focus on low- and no-cost measures, this standard fills a critical gap to provide schools with the information and support they need to ensure the quality of learning environment that every student in America deserves.

To support a heightened focus on workplace health and wellness, Green Seal announced a new certification standard for paints and coatings that fully aligns with the latest version of the LEED® green building rating system and identifies the safest, greenest paint available on the market today.

And, with a growing body of evidence indicating that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are likely to have harmful health and environmental effects, Green Seal took a leadership position with an initiative to prohibit all approximately 12,000 PFAS chemicals in certified products.

Demonstrating that there is power in partnerships, our collaborative efforts with Amazon Climate Pledge Friendly, the U.S. Green Building Council, the International WELL Building Institute, Healthy Schools Campaign, and Health Product Declaration Collaborative are amplifying Green Seal’s impact and accelerating the transition to safer, greener products and spaces.

As we cautiously and hopefully emerge from the worst of the pandemic, the twin pillars of health and environmental sustainability that Green Seal has stood for over the past 30-plus years are more in demand today than ever before. In the 2022 Impact Report, we are proud to highlight the impactful initiatives and partnerships that are making it simpler for consumers, parents, business owners and others to choose healthier, safer products and services with confidence.

Green Seal’s 2022 Impact Report is available to view on the group’s website.

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GSA’s Crosswalk maps the health and well-being criteria in the Guiding Principles across several segments, identifying which systems and standards most closely address the federal government’s health and wellness requirements for those segments.

With the Biden administration and a bipartisan group of lawmakers working to advance the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework, the United States has set its sights on the largest capital infusion to public infrastructure in decades.

More than $579 billion is included in the current plan, with $47 billion earmarked for resilience spending on physical and natural systems — said to be the largest investment of its kind in American history. The White House has stated that a key priority of the framework is to “prepare more of our infrastructure for the impacts of climate change…and extreme weather events.” Public buildings at all levels have been a key component within these infrastructure investment negotiations.

The systems and building standards listed in the Crosswalk are:

• ASHRAE 189.1-2017, Standard for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings,  from global building technology society ASHRAE, ICC, USGBC and IES; ANSI-approved
• DoD UFC 1-200-02 High Performance and Sustainable Building Requirements (Dec 2016), from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)
• Fitwel v2.0, created by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention and U.S. General Services Administration (GSA); licensed operator: The Center for Active Design
• Green Globes Building Certification, developed by ECD Energy and Environmental Canada based on the UK’s BREEAM system
• GSA PBS-P100 Facilities Standards for the Public Buildings Service (Jul 2018), from GSA
• LEED v4.1 Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design green building standard, from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
• WELL v2, from the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI)

The Health and Wellness section of the Guiding Principles includes building and health impacts ranging from proper air quality and circulation, daylight, plants and exercise to mitigating exposure to environmental risk.

IWBI’s WELL Building Standard is the only certification system to attain 100 percent alignment with the requirements, achieving marks addressing all 19 categories. WELL sets pathways for accomplishing health-first factors that support physical and mental health across 10 core concepts: air, water, nourishment, light, movement, materials, sound, thermal comfort, mind and community. Rigorous performance standards for design interventions, operational protocols and company-wide practices are verified by a third party.

“As the country considers significant investments in public infrastructure, our federal buildings are poised to lead by example in the effort to create people-first places,” IWBI President and CEO Rachel Hodgdon noted in a press release.

For more information on which building standards address which federal health and wellness mandates, see GSA’s Health and Wellness Guidance Crosswalk.

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The GSA’s vast procurement power gives it a unique ability to influence markets, points out RMI. Over the past decade, 253 million square feet of buildings were constructed for GSA, representing more than $11 billion in value. By shifting its procurement, GSA will accelerate the development of a market for low-embodied-carbon building materials and approaches in the United States, as a means to cut emissions in a “stubborn” sector.

Victor Olgyay, AIA, co-chair of the GBAC task group that produced the procurement guidelines, remarked:

Addressing embodied carbon is an enormous untapped opportunity for the federal government to cost-effectively reduce its carbon footprint. These procurement guidelines are a giant step forward toward that goal.

Specifically, the GBAC has recommended two main approaches and sent these to GSA:

• A material approach for all projects requiring environmental product declarations (EPDs) for 75% of materials used (by cost or weight), and that their emissions fall in the best-performing 80 percent of global warming potential (GWP) among functionally equivalent products; and
• A whole-building life-cycle assessment approach for larger projects (over $3 million), requiring that buildings be designed in such a way that life-cycle carbon assessment shows that the selected design results in a 20-percent carbon reduction.

Meghan C. Lewis, a senior researcher at the Carbon Leadership Forum, commented:

2021 looks to be an exciting year for federal leadership on driving emission reductions. The letter adopted by the GBAC is a first and important step for establishing a holistic implementation path for the GSA and other federal agencies to leverage their significant purchasing power to reduce embodied carbon in federal projects.

In 2001, GSA chose to use the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building rating system to meet its performance requirements for new construction and substantial renovation of federally owned facilities. This resulted in a major expansion of the LEED program and demonstrated GSA’s enormous market leadership, according to RMI. The recently adopted low-embodied-carbon procurement principals are anticipated to follow a similar market adoption trajectory.

Kevin Kampschroer, director of the Office of Federal High-Performance Green Buildings, GSA, remarked:

Working on the president’s climate agenda is not just exciting, rewarding and refreshing; it is clear that we need every idea and every tactic that will help reduce emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change. Considering embodied carbon is a logical step in GSA’s efforts to reduce GHG emissions. It can be a lever to change how the government constructs buildings, spur building innovation, and spark materials creativity across the building industry.

To view GBAC’s Advice Letter: Policy Recommendations for Procurement of Low Embodied Energy and Carbon Materials by Federal Agencies [PDF – 325 KB], visit the GBAC Advice Letters and Resolutions page on the GSA website.

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Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO of USGBC, stated:

If we are to rebuild an economy that supports our health and our planet, we must lead with changing the way we design and build. Last year was a stark reminder that the quality of our buildings impacts the quality of our life. Looking ahead, people want to trust that the spaces they occupy are good for them and their communities, and LEED has always been a tool to support those goals. Now is the time to ensure that every building is LEED certified, as that is the only way we are accomplishing our goals of access to healthy, green buildings, homes and spaces.

While offices, education and healthcare projects accounted for a majority of certifications, warehouses, distribution centers, multifamily and retail projects represented almost 20%. Also, almost half of all projects were certified Gold, indicating a commitment to a high level of certification.

The Top 10 States for LEED green building list is based on gross square feet of certified space per person using 2010 US Census data, and includes commercial and institutional projects certified in 2020.

The full top 10 state rankings are as follows:

Top 10 States for LEED Green Building in 2020

*Washington, DC, is not ranked due to its status as a federal district.

Healthy buildings

USGBC notes that the global green building community is continually improving the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program to ensure it helps buildings, communities and cities to be more sustainable, healthy, resilient and equitable. More than two-thirds of LEED credits support human health, as the rating system addresses ventilation and filtration, daylighting, low-emitting materials, access to outdoor spaces, acoustics and other key factors.

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, USGBC also introduced Safety First guidance to address operational challenges and assist with each state’s reentry planning.

Sustainable buildings

LEED’s foundation, however, is in its commitment to help the building sector reduce its contribution to climate change. Certification communicates progress in support of climate and ESG commitments (environmental, social and governance — the three main factors used to measure the sustainability impact of companies) and the goal is to get more buildings on a path to certify.

Using the Arc program to track performance, USGBC is tracking nearly 56 million metrics tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with energy and transportation, and more than 167 billion gallons of water. The data reportedly show that LEED projects deliver significant reductions in emissions and improvements in occupant experience — and the benefits increase with higher levels of LEED certification.

The latest version of the rating system, LEED v4.1, raises the bar on green building performance, defining the latest sustainability standards while enabling project teams to continue to track progress beyond certification.

Ramanujam added:

If we want to make a positive impact in our communities, we must transform the building sector, and focus on what the data is telling us. By putting data at the center of LEED, we’re helping teams better understand building performance, find ways to improve, and ultimately find a path to net zero.

Since 2018, more than 25 projects globally have certified LEED Zero, which recognizes net-zero performance in buildings and spaces. LEED’s third-party certification is the industry’s dominant green building standard, and LEED Zero expands on that work verifying achievements in net-zero carbon, energy, water and waste. It focuses on a higher level of green building performance, according to USGBC.

LEED professionals

Transforming the building sector to be more sustainable requires a skilled and knowledgeable workforce, notes USGBC. This workforce is contributing to the development and advocacy of LEED and is being quickly embraced by the next generation workforce and decision makers. USGBC has been committed to cultivating and supporting green building professionals through its credentialing and certificate programs.

This year, USGBC is also releasing an additional Top 10 list recognizing states with the most LEED green building professionals. The full list is as follows:

Top 10 States for LEED Professionals in 2020

More information about LEED certification and green building is available on the USGBC website.

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Combining the success of HSC’s Green Clean Schools program with Green Seal’s technical and certification expertise, the Healthy Green Schools & Colleges program will provide facilities managers and staff with verifiable standards, education, tools and resources to accelerate the uptake of practices that promote healthier and more sustainable school environments.

As a premier national ecolabel, Green Seal is widely recognized for its rigorous certification standards for best practices in greening products and spaces. The program will explore adapting and expanding Green Seal’s standard for Commercial and Institutional Cleaning Services (GS-42) into a comprehensive schools-focused tool to support continuous improvement in facilities operations. It will expand the community of practice among school FMs, leveraging their expertise and commitment to health and sustainability in order to transform the market.

The Healthy Green Schools & Colleges program will continue to build on HSC’s popular 5 Steps to Green Cleaning in Schools, provide educational programming at ISSA North America, and rely upon the esteemed Steering Committee members, who represent leadership in green cleaning at schools and universities across the US.

In addition to green cleaning, the Healthy Green Schools & Colleges program will allow for an expanded scope to cover areas ranging from indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring to integrated pest management and beyond. The program will provide school and university FMs and custodial teams with:

• Education, standards and implementation guidelines
• A network to accelerate the adoption of best practices, and
• Recognition of the leaders who achieve success
• Rochelle Davis, president and CEO of Healthy Schools Campaign, remarked:

This new partnership with Green Seal will help expand upon our work in green cleaning for schools and universities. We’ve been building up a network of facility directors across the country, and we’re excited to be able to offer them a certification to evaluate and improve their programs — and ensure all students attend schools that support their health and wellness.

Doug Gatlin, CEO of Green Seal, stated:

Healthy Green Schools and Colleges is about ensuring that our educational facilities provide a healthy and sustainable learning environment for all students regardless of where they live. This new partnership brings together HSC’s outstanding network of school and college facilities leaders along with Green Seal’s expertise in market transformation to create a powerful new force for improving the health and environmental quality of the nation’s schools.

Green Seal notes that more than 76 million students attend US schools and universities each day, representing 23 percent of the American population. Properly implemented, green FM practices reduce exposure to toxic chemicals and asthma triggers, boost attendance, save money, increase the lifespan of facilities, and significantly save carbon emissions.

Facilities staff are particularly susceptible to health problems from frequent exposure to toxic chemicals, points out Green Seal. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 6% of school custodians are injured on the job each year due to chemical exposures.

Nationwide, schools report that health is a key driver for green cleaning. More than 96% of K-12 schools implement some level of green cleaning, and nearly a third implement green cleaning to a very large extent, according to the HSC and ISSA 2018 National Education Facilities Cleaning Survey. More than 70% of schools report that access to customizable green cleaning training module outlines, customizable green cleaning procedures and customizable sample green cleaning policies would help them improve their green cleaning practices.

The national nonprofit Healthy Schools Campaign (HSC) believes that health and wellness should be incorporated into every aspect of the school experience, and green cleaning is an important component of those efforts. HSC advocates for children to have better access to nutritious school food, physical activity, school health resources, and clean air to shape their lifelong learning and health, and facilitates collaboration among students, parents, teachers, administrators, and policymakers to lead change for healthier schools at the school, district, state, and national levels.

Global nonprofit Green Seal’s mission is to transform the economy for a healthier, greener world. Since 1989, Green Seal has certified thousands of products, services and spaces through rigorous standards for health, environmental sustainability and product performance, and is specified by countless schools, government agencies, businesses and institutions.

For more information about the Healthy Green Schools & Colleges program, visit the Green Seal website.

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