Expert buying guide

Five Steps Toward a Greener Facility

As a facility manager (FM), you have the power to create a workplace that’s better for the planet and better for the people who work there — the power to transform sustainability from a trending topic into a positive way of working that feels natural. How do you accomplish such a grand feat? Start by reading a little further. We’ve provided some tips to help you master your facility manager superpower and help your company go green.

The meaning of sustainable facility management

Sustainability in a facility manager’s world is simple in principle. Here’s an easy way to think about it:

Sustainable facility management means operating buildings to be efficient and healthy for people and the environment.


As the FM, there are specific actions you can take:

  • Adopt practices to be more energy and water efficient

  • Reduce waste

  • Source more eco-preferable products

  • Support healthy indoor air quality

Why should FMs make sustainability a priority?

There are multiple reasons, big and small, for focusing on sustainability in your facility.

The obvious green benefit: You’ll help the planet

The most apparent benefit of sustainable facility management is reducing your organization’s environmental footprint. And there’s a mountain of data to prove it. For example:

  • ENERGY STAR-certified buildings have 35% lower energy use and carbon emissions than non-certified buildings.1

  • Federal government buildings that are certified to the LEED® standard reduce water use by 11%, consume 25% less energy, and have higher waste diversion than conventional buildings.2

The other green benefit: You’ll reduce costs and increase value

Green building retrofits average 10% lower operational costs. On average, green-certified buildings have 20% lower maintenance costs.3

In addition, green buildings have higher occupancy rates and rent — and they tend to sell at a premium over conventional buildings.4

The productivity benefit: You’ll create a better working environment

A sustainably managed building supports improved air quality by ensuring adequate fresh air circulation and reducing sources of indoor air pollution, like harsh cleaning chemicals, paints, carpeting, furniture and other building finishes.

These controls help ensure high employee comfort leading to increased productivity and benefits for your business.

Again, there’s plenty of data to support this. Employees working in certified green buildings report improved indoor air quality and reduced symptoms commonly associated with lower indoor air quality.5

A recent report on the financial case for high-performance buildings shows that a sustainable building can lead to a 3% increase in productivity, a 30% reduction in employee absenteeism, and a 5% increase in talent attraction.

Also, the research estimated a profit improvement of $3,395 per employee.

The selfish benefit: People will like you

According to a 2021 consumer intelligence survey report by PwC, 76% of consumers are likely to discontinue buying from a brand that doesn’t practice sustainability.6

The same report also showed that 84% of employees prefer to work for a company that cares for the environment.

The big picture: incorporating facility sustainability practices into your business operations can attract more customers and better employees.

You now know the why of sustainability. Next, let’s examine the how.

The five ways FMs can make a positive sustainable impact

  1. Focus on quick-fix updates to your building.

  2. Perform a waste assessment.

  3. Adopt green cleaning.

  4. Recycle the sustainability practices of companies that do it well.

  5. Track your sustainability efforts.