Reduce carbon emissions due to fire and natural disaster risks

WITH BUSINESSES increasingly looking to design and build energy efficient, environmentally sustainable facilities, FM Global has released new research showing ways business property owners can reduce carbon emissions (greenhouse gases) attributable to fire and natural disaster risks. The findings also reveal that, as the trend to build greener facilities increases, so do such potential unintended consequences.

The technical report titled The Influence of Risk Factors on Sustainable Development (click here for FM Global's research ) is part of FM Global’s efforts to enhance awareness of property-related risks and loss prevention solutions associated with sustainable development. It is the first time that FM Global has ever made its technical research available directly to the public. Previously, it considered such research to be company proprietary information and kept it confidential.

‘While most research to date on sustainable environmental building design has appropriately focused on the energy efficiency of “green” facilities as the main source of carbon emissions, this is the first research that looks at the influence of fire and natural disasters,’ said Dr Louis Gritzo, FM Global vice president and research manager. ‘Risk management is an integral part of sustainable development and FM Global recommends that future criteria for sustainable design and operation consider the risks fire and natural disaster can pose and the benefits of mitigating such threats.’

According to Brion Callori, FM Global senior vice president, engineering and research, the company’s decision to begin making select technical research reports publicly available without charge reflects the changing business practices and risk profiles of its clients around the world, which include one of every three Fortune 1000-size companies worldwide.

’In recent years, FM Global has observed an increase in frequency and severity of fire and natural disasters worldwide and a growing interdependence of businesses from globalisation and technology,’ said Callori. ‘It’s an appropriate time to be sharing such information, given businesses’ heightened consciousness around the environment, sustainability, risk management and their stakeholders’ expectations.’