Shawn Fisher Hesse

OUR RESPONSE TO THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION’S PROPOSED RULES ON CLIMATE CHANGE In March of 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) – the federal agency created to protect investors, and maintain fair, orderly, and efficient markets – released a proposed rule for public comment that clarifies and sets expectations for how publicly traded companies report on climate change…

A crosswalk between LBC 4.0 and the UN SDGs: Validating progress with ILFI’s programs INTRODUCTION Thousands of businesses and organizations all over the world have been inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). These 17 global goals aim to end extreme poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and protect the planet. While there are significant public pledges of support for…

The healthcare sector produces between 8-10% of total US carbon emissions, in turn contributing to the nearly 200,000 premature deaths due to poor air quality each year1. As centers of healing, healthcare facilities from hospitals to medical office buildings represent key opportunities to demonstrate how the built environment can instead be a contributor to individual and community health. To demonstrate…

As early as 1968, Whitney Young Jr. stood before the American Institute of Architects and admonished the profession for not taking on racial injustice, saying, “You are not a profession that has distinguished itself by your social and civic contributions to the cause of civil rights, and I am sure this has not come to you as any shock. You…

Almost exactly one year ago, I was forwarded an RFP from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). They sought a consultant to evaluate social equity measures in the Living Building Challenge as they began planning for their new headquarters in Baltimore. The NAACP has put forth a vision to demonstrate–through their own project–how to center equity…