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comment Interraction Promises 360-Degree Consulting Expertise
Six firms from the fields of architecture, engineering, law, public relations, business consulting and climate modeling announced the formation of a consulting consortium, Interraction, in April 2009. The group describes its goal as helping businesses “optimize their business practices and operations by integrating sustainability,” with a particular focus on the risks and opportunities presented by global climate change. The firms say they will continue to operate independently, working together for clients as needed.
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Some heavy-hitters are participating: FXFowle, a strong proponent of green building and the firm that designed New York City’s Condé Nast building and the recent renovation of Alice Tully Hall; Buro Happold Consulting Engineers, known for its temporary tensile structures, which has become a leader in novel and economical use of materials; and Arnold & Porter, a large international law firm that includes doctors, biologists, chemists and public policy analysts on its staff as well as lawyers.
According to Interraction, a key part of its service will be the creation of a “Sustainability Scorecard” for clients, which will reflect companies’ progress in tackling the challenges of climate change. It will consider such indicators as the energy efficiency of facilities, carbon offsets, and the appointment of personnel with responsibility for addressing sustainability issues. This scorecard will further a big-view perspective of client businesses, supported by the wide-ranging expertise of the consortium’s members, and lead to identifying priorities in areas such as product strategy, regulatory compliance and energy management.
Andrew McKeon of carbonRational says that “departmental myopia” commonly hinders companies’ understanding of environmental risks and opportunities. His colleague, Kenneth D. Makovksy of Makovsky + Co., also sees “silo thinking” as a threat to meeting sustainability targets.
“Management may commission a state-of-the-art green building from their facilities department, but then neglect to orchestrate complementary changes in the departments responsible for vendor practices, product sourcing and packaging, site location and corporate development,” Makovsky says. This kind of disjointed action reduces the return on effort and investment in both business and environmental terms, he warns, but can be remedied with the kind of help Interraction offers.
Copyright 2009 by BuildingGreen, LLC
