Business Chief US+CAN Magazine March 2017 | Page 11

BUILDING A GREENER AMERICA

lighting , they think their job is done .

“ The Better Buildings Initiative was borne out of recognition of those barriers , and what it would take to really accelerate the pace of energy efficiency and adoption . It ’ s built on the leadership theory of change : who in the market is leading the way to understand – or is willing to step up to the challenge of greater energy efficiency – and do so in a meaningful way ? Who can manage a 20 percent energy use reduction across their portfolio in 10 years , and is also willing to publically share what they ’ re doing with others ?”

Vargas states that while organizations are happy to learn from their government in many ways , they look to their peers when building a strong business case . Organizational sea change is one of the toughest barriers to break through ; changing the way a company views and values the investment of efficiency is too often seen as an extra overhead cost , when in reality , energy efficiency benefits everybody .

“ People ask why partners join the Better Buildings Challenge and what the benefit is ,” Vargas says , “ and the most obvious one is the monetary saving . On top of that , these companies are trying to attract the best talent , and the best talent wants to work for organizations that truly care . There are no downsides – nobody is going to complain if you use less energy . A kilowatt does not have a union .

“ It ’ s fascinating , seeing what it takes to get an organization to move from being set in its ways to doing something different , and how to make that happen . Some brands are more flexible and adaptable than others , but the potential challenges force you to think differently . Those who think differently are the ones who empower their employees .”

The Department of Energy offers a great deal of support to those companies willing to join in with the Better Buildings Challenge . There is

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