Welcome to our new blog! By Malcolm Lewis

Greetings from CTG! Thank you for visiting our new blog – we’re very excited to launch this new tool to communicate with you.

One of the challenges of the green building industry is keeping up with all the changes that affect us. From technological advances to new legislation and regulations, the pace and volume of information is intense. CTG strives to share with current and future clients our knowledge and perspectives about what is changing, how it affects strategy, and what opportunities are created. This blog is designed to address these challenges.

The 2008 Greenbuild conference in Boston next week is an excellent example. Between the workshops, speakers, educational sessions and expo it would be impossible for just a couple of people to capture all this information. CTG is sending 24 people to the conference this year so we can cover and collaborate on all topics. Our team will be using this blog to share information on topics ranging from the new LEED 2009 rating systems to sustainable communities to carbon offsetting and more.

Specifically, CTG’s Director of Climate Change Services, Dr. Chris Pyke, is contributing as a panelist this year in a session entitled “Engaged Offsets: Environmental Action Meets Social Justice.” Chris will be discussing how the relatively new concept of “engaged offsets” – an alternative to traditional carbon offset programs - was recently implemented in a program in New Orleans. He'll share how the program resulted in a significant reduction of GHG emissions while providing an incredible amount of social benefits. As a follow up to this session, Chris will share his thoughts on this blog.

Whether you're attending the Greenbuild conference or not, I encourage readers visit this blog often and subscribe to the feed. We'll be covering a wide range of topics from the conference, but in the coming weeks and months content will encompass many different areas. I look forward to future topics such as how the economy factors into a strategy for sustainability, and what effects the new Federal administration and regulations will have on our clients and our industry. I invite you to share any thoughts, questions, or opinions you have by replying to this blog.

More to come – thanks for reading!

Malcolm

Malcolm Lewis is the President of CTG Energetics