by Jbs042009 e3 — April 24, 2009—The Building Owners and Managers Association of Canada’s environmental certification program, BOMA BESt, is poised to gain new prominence as the Canadian government’s Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) develops new environmental clauses for its building leases.
In a recent release, Ellen Burack, Director General of PWGSC’s Office of Greening Government Operations, said federal officials are working with their provincial counterparts to develop a list of environmental requirements for leased accommodations. She noted that the federal government is looking to further green its leasing activity, although requirements would vary from province to province. Additionally, she said, any new or renewed leases over 10,000 square meters (approx. 107,650 square feet) require an assessment under BOMA BESt.
BOMA BESt, which stands for Building Environmental Standards, harmonizes BOMA Canada’s Go Green and Go Green Plus programs into one easy-to-use program. BOMA BESt reportedly represents the direction of the commercial real estate industry in Canada and BOMA Canada’s role in providing the mechanisms for common practices across the industry.
Users can progress through the program from Level 1 up to Level 4 and continually use the framework of the Best Practices and the BOMA BESt assessment to improve environmental performance and management. To attain certification, building managers must conduct energy and water audits, continually monitor resource consumption, and have a preventative maintenance program in place to ensure ongoing compliance.
