Sustainability is one of the five cross-functional competencies (communication, sustainability, quality, innovation, and collaboration) in the ProFM Body of Knowledge. These competencies describe the behaviors, attributes, and underlying knowledge necessary for FM professionals to facilitate the application of core technical knowledge and skills.

Definition: Sustainability embraces economic, social, and environmentally responsible business practices with the intent of bringing value for both an organization’s shareholders and society. It is development in which the needs of the present are met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

In today’s global marketplace, sustainable development is being embraced by organizations in every corner of the world. It isn’t enough for a company to focus on maximizing its profits in any way it can; instead, the organization needs to consider how its actions and ethics impact the environment, safety, human rights, diversity, and philanthropy in positive or negative ways.

Sustainability is the goal of sustainable development. Facility managers are challenged to implement the principles of sustainability in almost all aspects of their work:

• They may be charged with reducing a facility’s carbon footprint—the total greenhouse gas emissions from a facility.
• They may be concerned with the employment practices of vendors.
• They may be trying to shape occupant behavior to reduce wasted materials, water, and energy.
• They may be redesigning facility work processes to reduce the use of hazardous and environmentally unfriendly products.

Facility management should progress toward their organization’s sustainability goals by designing and implementing interventions, transitions, and transformative strategies for positive environmental, economic, and social change.

Key Concepts:

• Definition of sustainability for FM.
• Corporate social responsibility (CSR).
• Key FM initiatives for sustainability.
• Sustainability strategy.
• Triple Bottom Line (TBL) approach.
• Green building rating systems.
• Sustainability scorecards.
• Materiality matrix.
• Measuring carbon footprint.
• Equipment rating systems.
• Environmental management systems (EMS).
• Waste management.
• Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) reporting protocol.
• Energy use intensity (EUI) index.

Sustainability Proficiency Indicators (Task Statements)

• Embraces and supports a sustainability approach that meets the organization’s culture, values, mission, and goals.
• Develops corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies that reflect the organization’s mission and values.
• Identifies and develops opportunities for FM and the organization to engage in sustainability initiatives.
• Advocates for the implementation of sustainability efforts within the FM organization.
• Serves as an influential voice for sustainability strategies and initiatives in FM.
• Helps staff and occupants understand the societal impact of business decisions and the role of the organization’s sustainability activities in improving the facility and surrounding community.
• Utilizes the best practices of sustainability rating and performance reporting systems.
• Uses performance metrics to analyze data and information in order to understand and recommend sustainability solutions.

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