Sustainability newsbytes from the US

Zero-emission transport

The US Department of Energy is investing up to US$10 million into developing innovative alternative transportation technologies for cargo vehicles. The initiative aims to reduce US dependence on gasoline, diesel and oil imports, whilst also cutting carbon emissions and lowering air pollution at transportation hubs.

The Energy Department is looking for applicants that can demonstrate cost-effective zero-emission cargo transport systems, in addition to gathering data on the cost and performance of these technologies. The funding is open to private companies and local governments, with federal funds matched at 50% cost share.

Green building in Canada

Holcim Canada has announced that it is a Gold Level National Sponsor for the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) for a second consecutive year. The sponsorship programme helps the CaGBC to encourage and speed up the ‘transformation of the built environment to high-performing, healthy green buildings, homes and communities throughout Canada’.

Holcim Canada is also a lead sponsor of the CaGBC’s National Conference ‘Building for Change’. In addition, the cement and building materials producer will support events in Quebec and Ontario.

“Holcim works diligently to ensure that sustainable development is integrated into the business and into our thinking. We have a responsibility to drive sustainability by providing innovative solutions that will enable the industry to design, build and operate sustainably. Partnering with the CaGBC allows us to multiply our efforts and work together to help drive sustainable development awareness and behavior change in Canada,” commented Ruksana Mirza, Vice President of Sustainable Development, Holcim (Canada) Inc.

Designing for disaster

Lafarge North America will serve as the lead sponsor of a new exhibition at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., USA. The ‘Designing for Disaster’ exhibition will explore disaster mitigation and tools and strategies for constructing safer, stronger and more resilient communities. It will also look at public transport systems and at residential, commercial and institutional buildings that are designed to address natural hazards in exemplary ways.

“As a leading provider of sustainable, high-performance solutions for building better cities, Lafarge is committed to driving innovation and supporting collaborative dialogues on disaster-resistant design approaches for creating a safer, more durable and resilient built environment,” stated Maik Strecker, Vice President of Marketing for Lafarge US. “We are proud to serve as the lead sponsor of this educational initiative at the National Building Museum to foster public awareness and understanding of engineering and construction strategies for protecting life and property against a wide range of natural hazards.”

Edited from various sources by Louise Fordham

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/the-americas/08052014/sustainability_newsbytes_from_north_america_158/