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14 02, 2024

2024 Green Building Honorable Mention: The Bay Meadows Urban Village

2024-03-01T19:34:41-05:00

A Green Building Honorable Mention, cosponsored by Sustainable San Mateo County, the American Institute of Architects, San Mateo County Chapter and Peninsula Clean Energy, will be awarded to The Bay Meadows Urban Village. Set alongside the Caltrain Station and Highway 101 and only a stone’s throw from the bay in San Mateo, this development serves as the economic engine of the single largest redevelopment site in the Bay Area. As a transit-oriented development (TOD), it delivers the best of modern living in the form of a vibrant commercial heart serving 1,000 residential homes, townhomes and apartments. It features a [...]

2024 Green Building Honorable Mention: The Bay Meadows Urban Village2024-03-01T19:34:41-05:00
14 02, 2024

2024 Green Building Award Winner: The Nueva School’s Science and Environmental Center

2024-04-18T15:20:11-05:00

The 2024 Green Building Award, cosponsored by Sustainable San Mateo County, the American Institute of Architects, San Mateo County Chapter and Peninsula Clean Energy, is presented to The Nueva School’s Science and Environmental Center. The Science and Environmental Center, which opened in 2021, supports the school’s evolving mission of sustainability and environmental stewardship as a foundational pillar of student education. It provides a new home for the school’s environmental citizenship program with eight science labs and associated support spaces. The project is designed to be zero net energy/zero net carbon – an all-electric building that models a resilient, low-carbon future. [...]

2024 Green Building Award Winner: The Nueva School’s Science and Environmental Center2024-04-18T15:20:11-05:00
14 02, 2024

2024 Youth Sustainability Award Winner: Kayla Ling

2024-04-18T15:09:26-05:00

Just 15 years old, this remarkable sophomore at The Nueva School is making waves in the areas of environmental advocacy and social justice through her passion for video storytelling. Her commitment to inspiring others and mobilizing communities has earned her our first-ever Youth Sustainability Award. Kayla is a stand-out leader at her school, where she organizes impactful initiatives for her fellow students in the Environmental Club, including the Eco-Action Raisers event that empowers 300 students and teachers to take tangible action for the environment. She has also served as Nueva’s Social Justice Chair, organizing workshops and guest speakers to enrich [...]

2024 Youth Sustainability Award Winner: Kayla Ling2024-04-18T15:09:26-05:00
14 02, 2024

2024 Ruth Peterson Award to Be Presented to Bernard Bruand

2024-02-20T18:08:51-05:00

The Ruth Peterson Award, established in memory of a dedicated SSMC leader and given to an invaluable SSMC volunteer, will be presented to Bernard Bruand. Bernard does not shy away from the complex and global nature of climate change and building a sustainable community. He was born in France and graduated from Lyon University with a degree in electronics and electro-mechanics. After working for 40 years with Hewlett Packard in France, Germany, Singapore and California, Bernard retired in 2012 and decided to focus on contributing to society. He had a special interest in sustainability and joined the San Mateo [...]

2024 Ruth Peterson Award to Be Presented to Bernard Bruand2024-02-20T18:08:51-05:00
14 02, 2024

2024 Sustainability Award Winner: Youth Climate Ambassadors

2024-04-18T13:57:33-05:00

The Youth Climate Ambassadors (YCA) Leadership Program is a first of its kind in California. The program is a knowledge-to-action seven-month long leadership program that provides 9-12th grade students in San Mateo County the opportunity to explore social and environmental issues contributing to the global climate crisis. Over the past five years, 273 students have participated in the program. Participants increase their knowledge on climate change and build communication and other professional skills through a series of 10 workshops and retreats. Their work culminates with a Community Impact Project that is youth-created and youth-led and designed to translate knowledge and [...]

2024 Sustainability Award Winner: Youth Climate Ambassadors2024-04-18T13:57:33-05:00
31 01, 2024

The New Sustainability Ideas Bank: Online, Searchable and Downloadable!

2024-02-02T19:03:09-05:00

Implement new sustainability programs and policies in less time with fewer issues. Doing anything for the very first time is hard. There’s a learning curve. Like when I recently built kitchen cabinets. The first one was a painstaking process to figure out which pieces went together, in what order, which screws to use, how far to drill them in, etc. After the first one, I whipped out five more with ease. The same is true for designing policies and implementing programs to become more sustainable. Establishing a renter equity program, getting people to try an induction cooktop, establishing deconstruction waste [...]

The New Sustainability Ideas Bank: Online, Searchable and Downloadable!2024-02-02T19:03:09-05:00
2 01, 2024

The Role of Green Building Awards in Advancing Sustainability

2024-01-23T13:23:49-05:00

Applications for SSMC’s 2024 Green Building Award are now closed. The winner will be celebrated at SSMC’s 25th Annual Awards Event on April 10th. Green building plays a pivotal role in advancing sustainability efforts by integrating environmentally responsible practices into the design, construction and operation of structures. The environmental impact of traditional construction methods, including energy consumption, water usage and waste generation, is substantial. Green building, however, focuses on reducing this impact by incorporating energy-efficient technologies, utilizing sustainable materials and implementing resource-conserving strategies. By adopting these practices, green buildings contribute to the overall reduction of carbon emissions, lower energy consumption [...]

The Role of Green Building Awards in Advancing Sustainability2024-01-23T13:23:49-05:00
27 04, 2022

High Voltage, Low Impact Buildings: Building Electrification Efforts in San Mateo County

2022-06-18T13:32:37-05:00

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report released earlier this month warned that to stay within 1.5 °C of climate change, greenhouse gas emissions must peak by 2025 or earlier before declining. The report gave the effort to decarbonize buildings through electrification more urgency, but scientists have long known the risks of using natural gas indoors. Electrified buildings can draw power from renewable sources, but natural gas remains many buildings’ primary energy source in San Mateo County, despite its large greenhouse gas footprint and associated hazards. Three expert speakers shared their knowledge about building electrification during our April 2022 [...]

High Voltage, Low Impact Buildings: Building Electrification Efforts in San Mateo County2022-06-18T13:32:37-05:00
21 10, 2021

Indicator Report Highlights Solutions for Equitable Housing

2021-10-21T09:31:18-05:00

Sustainable San Mateo County’s Indicators Report Launch on October 19 focused on the need for affordable, sustainable housing and highlighted strategies that can make affordable housing for all a reality. It was the 25th year Sustainable San Mateo County (SSMC) has presented in-depth research on one aspect of sustainability in San Mateo County. This year’s report, “Equitable Housing,” includes comprehensive data, the historical context, driving forces, an analysis of the impact of climate change on housing, case studies, policy initiatives and recommendations. Click here to read the full report, the Executive Summary and the brochure. Click here to view a [...]

Indicator Report Highlights Solutions for Equitable Housing2021-10-21T09:31:18-05:00
20 10, 2021

Looking Ahead

2021-10-20T16:37:58-05:00

A New Approach There are powerful forces in San Mateo County opposed to affordable housing. How can a city move the needle when residents routinely oppose any housing development and lobbyists pressure them to maintain the status quo? “The No. 1 issue is political will,” said Diana Reddy, a longtime affordable housing advocate who was elected to the Redwood City City Council in 2018. Just a few years ago, housing proponents argued that we needed more homes that teachers and nurses could afford. Now the problem of homelessness is so overwhelming that cities are focusing more often on housing [...]

Looking Ahead2021-10-20T16:37:58-05:00
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