{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"LEED Fellow Andres Schwarz on Keeping the Sustainability Flame Alive","description":"\ud83c\udf0b The Green Impact Report Quick take: From Buenos Aires to Papua New Guinea, LEED Fellow and architect Andres Schwarz shows how to turn certifications, commissioning, and culture into long-term, resilient green performance \u2014 not just plaques on the wall. \ud83e\udec2 Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Andres is a sustainability professional, serving as a sustainability advisor, university educator, principal at NRG-AR, and co-founder of Green Certification Consultants. Since 2007, he has certified over 100 Green Building projects across 12 countries as a sustainability and well-being consultant and Commissioning Agent. In his role as an educator, Andres currently teaches at two universities, reviews theses for international students, and serves as a trainer for GBCI's EDGE certification across Latin America. Andres co-founded and acted as secretary-general for the Argentine chapter of the International Building Performance Simulation Association (IBPSA) and served as a member of the LEED International Roundtable. \ud83c\udf31 Breaking Ground on Better Building In this episode, Andres rewires how we think about certifications, commissioning, and culture in green building: \ud83e\udde0 Key Insight #1: Commissioning + Certification Is a Long-Term Performance Engine The Challenge: In many markets, the LEED consultant and commissioning agent are separate, leading to gaps between design intent and real-world performance \u2014 and a \u201cset it and forget it\u201d mindset. The Solution: Andres\u2019 team delivers both LEED consulting and commissioning, staying deeply involved with HVAC, lighting, and controls so the building actually works for occupants long after opening day. ROI: Fewer warranty calls, better comfort, and systems that perform for decades instead of just for the ribbon-cutting \u2014 turning \u201cgreen design\u201d into durable, resilient operations. \ud83e\uddf0 Key Insight #2: Stack Rating Systems to Unlock Human-Centric Value The Challenge: Clients often see sustainability as a single certification box to check, missing health, waste, and mobility opportunities. The Solution: Andres guides clients to layer systems \u2014 like a Sanofi project that achieved four certifications (LEED, WELL, Fitwel, TRUE Zero Waste), plus tools like Active-Score to elevate mobility and access for everyone, including cleaning staff and security guards. ROI: Stronger ESG stories, healthier and more equitable workplaces, and deeper resource savings across energy, waste, and well-being \u2014 value that goes far beyond energy models. \ud83e\udde9  Key Insight #3: Make Sustainability Affordable, Local, and Built to Last The Challenge: In Latin America, incentives and financing vary by country, and many teams still treat sustainability as a \u201cfad\u201d or expensive add-on. The Solution: Andres combines global tools (LEED, WELL, Fitwel, TRUE, EDGE) with local realities \u2014 focusing on resilience in healthcare and schools, hydrogen and energy in industry, micro-grids for residential, and indoor air quality for commercial spaces, while making certifications financially and technically accessible. ROI: Projects that actually happen \u2014 platinum-level buildings in rural Argentina, cross-continent work in Chile, France, the U.S., and Papua New Guinea \u2014 and a new generation of students who see sustainability as part of their identity, not a side project. \ud83c\udf99\ufe0f Sustainable Soundbite "Don't give up. Keep your dreams alive. The start is going to be rough, but in the end your achievements will shine." \u2013 Andres Schwarz \ud83e\uddd7\u200d\u2642\ufe0f Your Green Building Action Plan Transform your next project with these steps: This Week: Identify one active project where commissioning and certification are siloed. Bring those teams together for a 30-minute sync focused on long-term performance: warranty reduction, comfort, and real-world energy savings. This Quarter: Pilot a multi-certification strategy on a flagship project\u2014pair LEED with WELL, Fitwel, TRUE, or ActiveScore. Build a simple one-page value case that highlights human health, mobility, and zero-waste benefits alongside energy. This Year: Choose one typology you touch often (healthcare, schools, industrial, residential, or commercial) and develop a resilience + decarbonization playbook for it \u2014 include micro- grids or shared energy where relevant, and bake indoor air quality or well-being metrics into your standard scope. \ud83d\udd17 Connect & Learn More \ud83c\udf3f Access full episode resources: https:\/\/gbes.com\/podcast\/ \ud83d\uddd2 Read the transcript here \ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffb\u200d\ud83d\udcbb Connect with Andres Schwarz: Website: Green Certification Consultants LinkedIn: https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/andres-schwarz-4233705\/ Books: Bradbury Stories: 100 of His Most Celebrated Tales \ud83d\udc9a Join the Green Building Movement: https:\/\/www.greenbuilding.news\/subscribe \u267b\ufe0f Want More Green Building Insights? Get sustainability tips 2x a week. \ud83d\udc49 Subscribe to our FREE newsletter here: https:\/\/www.greenbuilding.news\/subscribe Green Building Matters, Inc \u00a9 2026 | Good Green Fun.   ","author_name":"The Green Building Matters Podcast with Charlie Cichetti","author_url":"http:\/\/gbespodcast.libsyn.com\/website","html":"