I’ve had a lot of conversations about the global climate strikes in the past week. It’s come up in introductory conversations as colleagues reflect on their accomplishments to date, and from others as they describe the impact they want to have in their work. The message I hear is clear: Now is the time to act. Now is the time to act differently and at a pace at which we have not acted before. It’s exciting and a little bit daunting.
I see people taking action. The students protesting climate inaction in nations around the world. The CEOs leading Business Roundtable companies, which last month pledged to rethink the role of companies in strengthening our society. The government officials in American cities driving climate action, the community leaders mobilizing action from the ground up, the scientists, innovators and entrepreneurs inventing and delivering the next generation of clean energy technologies and practices to our homes and buildings. People are ready to make the theoretical possible—and IMT has never been more ready for the challenge.
Our buildings are an integral part of our economy and the everyday lives of millions of Americans. At IMT, we focus on the role that buildings play in ensuring a livable future for us all. As the new executive director, I’m committed to leading a team that’s revolutionizing how buildings sustain the people inside of them and the world around them.
Every day, IMT is on the ground with the people who put buildings and the business of buildings to work in service of big, ambitious goals. In the months ahead, you will be hearing a lot from me and my colleagues as we work together to address the social and environmental aspects of building performance. We believe that by putting buildings to work together, we can protect the climate and make progress in grid modernization, local economic competitiveness, and community resiliency.
We believe that by putting buildings to work together, we can protect the climate and make progress in grid modernization, local economic competitiveness, and community resiliency.
I will be sharing our plans on what comes next, but one guiding principle that makes IMT tick is the knowledge that we all need to take action. In this spirit, I want to hear from you: What do you think will be the most impactful actions we can take together? What strategies will you deploy to decarbonize buildings at a pace that is faster and wider than we’ve known to date? We interact with so many different kinds of buildings in our lives. What buildings matter most to your community, your family, your daily life? Please get in touch, or chime in with your thoughts on IMT’s LinkedIn page, where we have a prompt from this blog.
Now is the time to shape the next generation of building performance to ensure a livable future for us all. I, and the full team of IMT, look forward to rolling up our sleeves alongside you to solve the nation’s most pressing climate, environmental, and social challenges.
