Colgate-Palmolive
At a Glance
Industry
Consumer Packaged Goods
Project Type
Data Analysis
Year
2016
Location
Piscataway, NJ
Summary
Judy Amsalem analyzed LEED-certified facilities in Colgate’s portfolio and assessed how the buildings measure up against the WELL Building Standard.
Goals
Colgate-Palmolive, a global consumer products company, brought on EDF Climate Corps fellow Judy Amsalem to evaluate its LEED-certified building performance. Having committed to using the LEED rating system for all newly constructed facilities, Colgate wanted to assess the benefits that follow beyond the design and construction stages at ten certified manufacturing facilities. Additionally, Colgate was interested in better understanding emerging opportunities around occupant health and wellness standards, looking specifically at the applicability of the WELL Building Standard.
Solutions
Judy collected performance data from the 10 LEED-certified facilities and the rest of the manufacturing facilities in Colgate’s global supply chain. This data included not only environmental performance, but also productivity metrics, health and safety records, and data from Colgate’s Live Better employee engagement program. By comparing the performance of the LEED-certified facilities to a global benchmark, she was able to create the most comprehensive, holistic understanding to date of the overall operation of LEED facilities. To understand the new WELL Building Standard, Judy assessed how one of Colgate’s new, LEED designed buildings measured up against the prerequisites for certification.
Potential Impact
Colgate is equipped with a better idea of how its LEED certified facilities are performing within various product categories and regions. This will not only advise future improvements to existing facilities and their operations, but will also inform the design of Colgate’s new LEED manufacturing facilities. The WELL Building Standard study provided valuable insight into how Colgate’s buildings can contribute to the health and wellness of its employees, as well as its efforts to promote environmental stewardship and healthy lifestyles as part of its Sustainable Buildings Commitment.