Each year, I look forward to IPMI’s Sustainability Issue. Since my formal education is in Ecology, this is a topic that is near and dear to me. I once made the observation that our future as a species living on this planet depends on two things: how we treat each other and how we treat Mother Earth. 

It is not an altruistic act to support sustainable initiatives. Rather, quite the opposite. Humankind benefits directly from the natural services provided by nature: food production, oxygen generation, water filtration, climate regulation, and flood mitigation, to name a few. It’s in our best interest to protect our natural resources.

Every day, we shape our future with the choices we make and the actions we take. As technology advances, and becomes more mainstream and more affordable, we have more choices available to us. As industry leaders, we are in a unique position to advance sustainability initiatives through policies and programs. This includes behind-the-scenes operations, such as choosing green cleaning supplies, supporting recycling programs, investing in preventive maintenance programs to extend the useful life of capital assets, collecting stormwater run-off, or using advanced lighting systems and controls. It also includes customer-facing programs such as carpool programs, EV charging stations, parking guidance systems, providing mass transportation, or supporting micro-mobility devices, to name a few.

As you flip through the pages of this month’s issue focused on sustainability, you’ll be introduced to sustainable design, construction, and operations for parking facilities. You’ll also see how sustainability initiatives are being incorporated into operations across the nation. 

• A comparison of electric vehicle programs at two California universities
• A comprehensive sustainability program in Pennsylvania
• A USGBC case study from Atlanta

It’s exciting to see the latest projects that are advancing our industry’s contributions to reducing energy consumption and corresponding carbon emissions, protecting our water and air supply, and protecting habitats to preserve biodiversity. Thank you for all that you do!