Certification recognizes JGH’s pro-environmental practices

The Jewish General Hospital has received certification in a national program that recognizes excellence in environmental and energy management and performance.

The program, known as BOMA BESt, is the Canadian industry standard for certifying the sustainability of commercial buildings. Certification is granted by the Building Owners and Managers Association of Canada to acknowledge success in complying with specially designated Building Environmental Standards.

Level 2 certification, which the hospital obtained this past May, recognizes that the JGH’s practices contribute to a healthy work environment and to a reduction in negative aspects of its ecological footprint.

Certification was granted after an evaluation of performance in 14 areas, such as energy, water, waste reduction, emissions and effluents, indoor environment, and the environmental management system.

JGH Project Manager Christophe Herlmont and JGH Sustainability Coordinator Chelsea Pandelidis with the BOMA BESt award.

Since 2012, the JGH has focused mainly on reducing its energy consumption, says Georges Bendavid, Director of Technical Services. “Since a hospital is fully operational every day of the year, our building consumes a great deal of energy and is faced with many challenges.”

Among the JGH’s initiatives:

• installation of bicycle racks at most major entrances
• on-site hosting of a Bixi bike station
• reserving two parking spaces for Communauto cars
• offering discounts to staff for annual passes for public transit
• implementing a recycling program for paper, cardboard, cans, plastic, glass, batteries, electronics and cartridges

“We’ve also made it a priority to modernize our heating equipment, which has allowed us to reduce our energy consumption by 14 per cent over three years,” adds Mr. Bendavid.