FedEx to operate within green building framework
FedEx Express has made LEED® Certification the standard for newly-built US facilities. LEED, the green building rating system developed by the US Green Building Council (USGBC), of which FedEx is an active member, is the leading benchmark for buildings that are designed, constructed and operated sustainably.
The newly-constructed FedEx Express Las Vegas facility is the first facility in the company to receive LEED certification, followed closely on its heels by FedEx Memphis-based World Headquarters LEED Gold certification under the USGBC’s LEED for Existing Buildings Rating System.
“FedEx is taking another step toward our goal to conserve energy, help the environment, and create better places for our customers and team members,” said Don Colvin, vice president of Properties and Facilities at FedEx Express. This certification is third-party verification that FedEx is being a good steward of the planet.”
The FedEx Express Las Vegas LEED Gold building reduces indoor water use by 49% through low flow plumbing fixtures rather than merely “code-compliant” fixtures. Energy savings, due to design elements such as skylights and evaporative cooling, are 42% higher than a similar building without these features.
During construction, 86% of all construction waste was diverted through recycling and reclamation of materials. More than 75% of regularly-occupied spaces are sunlit to reduce the need for electric lights and provide better workspaces.
“LEED Gold certification is a significant accomplishment for our Las Vegas facility, which includes a package-sorting warehouse, vehicle maintenance bay and an office building,” said Stephen Mangin, project architect with FedEx Express. “That’s a lot of variables to work through. In addition to the water, energy and waste reduction benefits, the natural lighting throughout is a huge workplace environment bonus.”
The new LEED certification requirement also underwent internal review to ensure it meets the goals of the FedEx EarthSmart Solutions programme.
EarthSmart is a FedEx environmental innovation and branding programme encouraging team members to identify innovative solutions and programmes that go beyond industry standards to reduce our company’s environmental impacts.
FedEx has already made investments in alternative energy, hybrid and electric vehicles, more fuel-efficient aircraft, as well as philanthropic and volunteer programmes that integrate environmentally sustainable practices into daily operations.
