In this week’s episode, host Kristin Hayes speaks to Veronique Bugnion, a scientist, entrepreneur, and energy industry leader. Bugnion—a climate physicist by training who spent years in the private sector, focusing on energy and carbon markets—cofounded and serves as the CEO of ClearlyEnergy, which provides innovative solutions that help reduce emissions from buildings. Hayes and Bugnion discuss federal building performance standards—a particularly relevant topic, given that the Biden administration announced on May 17 that the Council on Environmental Quality will lead an effort to develop performance standards for federal buildings. Bugnion talks about how such standards could be designed, what impact they’re likely to have, and what the federal government can learn from other jurisdictions that have already implemented such standards.

References and recommendations:

“Fact Sheet: Biden Administration Accelerates Efforts to Create Jobs Making American Buildings More Affordable, Cleaner, and Resilient” via the White House; https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/05/17/fact-sheet-biden-administration-accelerates-efforts-to-create-jobs-making-american-buildings-more-affordable-cleaner-and-resilient/

“Icebound: Shipwrecked at the Edge of the World” by Andrea Pitzer; https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Icebound/Andrea-Pitzer/9781982113346