HMMH was contracted to prepare a Sustainable Infrastructure Rating/Certification System Evaluation Report for Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) on behalf of Burns & McDonnell. The objectives of this study were to: (1) develop a benchmarking report of the various sustainable asset, infrastructure, and construction rating systems and (2) develop a report including recommendations and guidelines, including decision processes, for Massport project managers regarding implementation of these rating systems for Massport’s aviation and marine facilities, commercial real estate and parks.
HMMH reviewed approximately 20 rating sustainable asset, infrastructure, and construction rating systems, and narrowed the list to 14 to include in the benchmarking study. The focus was certifications that apply to the built environment as opposed to processes or products. Sustainability rating or certification programs considered included industry-specific systems for aviation and marine infrastructure as well as general building and infrastructure systems.
The final report prepared by HMMH included a comprehensive review of each sustainability rating system, including specific examples of airports and marine port facilities that have utilized each system to certify various assets or projects. The team sought information on each system regarding the cost to certify projects, audit or verification requirements, renewal timeframes, relative level of effort to maintain certification, and approximate adoption rates of each certification/rating system assessed. HMMH analyzed the data to determine which rating systems provided the greatest environmental, social and economic benefits, and developed a matrix to efficiently display information for each system regarding: 1) appropriate timing for selecting a certification system for each project; 2) the level of effort and documentation required for achieving and maintaining certifications; 3) the approximate or relative cost of certification; 4) the relative ease of implementation compared to other programs.