BOMA BC president Paul LaBranche (right) signs a MOU in Seoul Korea with the Korean Institute of Eco-Environmental Architecture to collaborate on sustainable buildings. BOMA, he says, has had a lot of success working with government agencies. For instance, he cites a Vancouver bylaw that triggers environmental requirements for build- ing owners who retrofit or renovate their buildings. Work- ing closely with the City of Vancouver, BOMA achieved getting BOMA Best certification as an alternative option to meeting the city’s requirements. “We recently hired a new government affairs director who will help BOMA enhance government communication and awareness at all levels,” he said. “We’ve always done a good job at engaging and communicating with govern- ment but that will improve even more so with a dedicated person in the role.” LaBranche says BOMA is currently working on the issue of legislated mandatory energy tracking and benchmarking for building owners. “We support benchmarking in princi- ple but we need to ensure the information gathered is used in a manner that makes sense. We are concerned about mandatory public disclosure of energy information and building labelling initiatives because it interferes with the marketplace. We believe private sector building infor- mation should remain private.” He says it must also be recognized that LEED doesn’t necessarily translate to a building operating at highest en- ergy efficiency levels. “It depends on the building’s man- agement and operation and so this is where BOMA Best comes in.” BOMA BC has numerous energy and environmental pro- grams, including an award winning e-EnergyTraining web based course; a BOMA UTrack utility tracking system and a TWM (total waste management) program for recycling. Its EMP (Energy Management Program) is a special program with BC Hydro support to reach out directly to help mem- bers with energy conservation projects. LaBranche added that two years ago, BOMA BC partnered with the provincial government to install more than 120 electrical vehicle charg- ing stations into member buildings using incentive funding. LaBranche says BOMA does three things well: “We ad- vocate for the industry. We support a diverse industry with education, training and research. And, we provide network- ing opportunities for people who own, manage, lease, de- velop and provide products and services. It is important for members to have the chance to develop relationships.” Finally, he says, BOMA provides valuable member serv- ices. He referenced as the latest example another B.C. first initiative, the launch of a new ‘BOMAlert’ program. LaBranche says this program provides a mass notification system to reach members by phone, email and all social media and other forms of communication to notify them of any emergencies in their area in real time. “Putting into place the infrastructure was our first step and now we are encouraging municipal and provincial gov- ernments to co-ordinate communication and enable first responders to communicate with our system directly so we can notify members immediately on a 7/24 basis promptly.” LaBranche says he recognizes this is a huge undertak- ing but believes if one level of government is willing to be a leader in this, the rest will follow. Operating under an annual business plan and long range strategic plan, LaBranche says BOMA BC is always looking forward to new initiatives. “Next on the hopper is tenant engagement.” He says a report on this challenge is expected out by early 2016. For more information about BOMA and BOMA BC, visit www.boma.bc.ca. Lasertech Floorplans 1/4 page The Canadian Design and Construction Report — January 2016 – 33