by Brianna Crandall — April 27, 2015—In recognition of Earth Day 2015 and its ongoing dedication to sustainability, the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) is offering a limited-time savings of U.S.$100 for FM professionals who wish to earn their Sustainability Facility Professional (SFP) credential. The discount is available on new SFP orders placed before May 15, 2015, via the Earth Day SFP Web site.
Like the facilities management industry it supports, IFMA promotes the cause of sustainability in the built environment. In fact, sustainability is listed by IFMA as a core competency for modern facility management practitioners based on a comprehensive global job task analysis.
The positive impact FM professionals can have on the planet is significant, reminds IFMA. Buildings account for 40 percent of global energy use and up to 40 percent of emissions, including greenhouse gases. Any feasible effort to reduce energy use and cut emissions must, therefore, address the built environment.
While there are a number of sustainability and green certifications that a building or system within a building can earn, the SFP program remains the only credential specifically tailored for the men and women who operate and maintain those systems, according to IFMA. The SFP designation is an assessment-based certificate program delivering a specialty credential in sustainability. FM professionals undertaking the SFP learn to develop environmentally responsible facility management practices.
IFMA recently received accreditation with seven commendations from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for its world-renowned professional credential programs. ANSI, which oversees thousands of standards and guidelines that directly impact businesses in a range of sectors, accredited IFMA for the Facility Management Professional (FMP) and SFP credentials. Both were described as “world-class, gold-standard models of learning and development.”
The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) supports 24,000 members in 105 countries. The association’s members, represented in 134 chapters and 17 councils worldwide, manage more than 37 billion square feet of property and annually purchase more than $100 billion in products and services. Formed in 1980, IFMA certifies professionals in facilities management, conducts research, provides educational programs, and produces the World Workplace FM conference and exposition.
