Tuesday, November 24, 2015
The Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC) received the prestigious Sustainable Innovation Award in the Materials & Resources category at the United States Green Building Council (USGBC)-LA’s 11th Annual Green Gala last night. The Sustainable Innovation Awards recognize projects across seven categories that exceed Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) credit satisfaction and exemplify innovation, multi-tier collaboration, and positive community impact.
The AEG-managed facility became the largest convention center in the U.S. to earn LEED EB+OM Gold recertification in September 2015, and receiving the Sustainable Innovation Award further demonstrates the LACC’s exceptional achievement in the Materials & Resources category. The LACC Facilities and Operations Department collaborated with Waste Management to develop the Construction & Demolition (C&D) waste management program, which includes collection and hauling of the waste as well as establishing guidelines for event producers and organizers to follow in disposing of their C&D waste. Within the past twelve months, the C&D program has diverted more than 1,000,000 pounds of waste from the landfill, which is a significant portion of the LACC’s overall waste.
“We are honored and excited to have been selected as the recipient of the highly sought after Sustainable Innovation Award! Consistently seeking ways to improve our operations and processes in order to mitigate negative environmental impact is of utmost importance for the LACC; while we have a robust C&D program in place, we believe in on-going collaboration and will continue to refine and update the program,” noted Estella Flores, Facilities Manager at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
Moreover, the LACC has implemented a waste management program for compostable kitchen waste, ongoing consumables, and durable goods that engages event attendees, staff, and community nonprofits. For instance, the LACC has partnered with the Los Angeles Conservation Corp to assist with a portion of the LACC’s ongoing consumables recycling. The Los Angeles Conservation Corp provides at-risk young adults and school-aged youth with opportunities for success through work experience on conservation and service projects. Partnering with this organization allows the LACC to simultaneously give back to the local community while reducing its environmental footprint.
“The LACC is proud to be recognized as a champion of environmental and social responsibility by the USGBC. The Sustainable Innovation Award celebrates our efforts in an important category but environmental best-practices are present in every aspect of our operations at the facility. We strive to be an exemplary, green facility both in LA and in the convention center industry at large,” stated Brad Gessner, Senior Vice President of AEG Facilities and General Manager of the Los Angeles Convention Center.
“The AEG 1EARTH team is responsible for overseeing sustainability programs at AEG-owned and managed venues. We’re incredibly pleased with the LACC’s achievements in environmental sustainability and believe that the venue upholds the highest standards of responsible operations,” concluded John Marler, Senior Director of Energy and Environment at AEG.
Tags: AEG 1EARTH team, LACC, LEED EB+OM Gold recertification, Sustainable Innovation Award, The Los Angeles Convention Center, USGBC
Comments: