The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), Atlanta, and the Smart Cities Council, Washington, D.C., announced plans to collaborate on a commitment toward the advancement of a more sustainable built environment.

The agreement defines parameters on how ASHRAE and the Smart Cities Council will promote mutual interests of their respective members and stakeholders. These include but are not limited to general advocacy; joint conferences and meetings; consistent leadership communication; publication development and distribution; education and professional development; technical activities coordination; and research.

“We value this partnership with the Smart Cities Council, and are excited to leverage this collaboration to better support our members and industry professionals with tools, resources, training and education to accelerate optimal performance and sustainability in the built environment,” says Darryl Boyce, president of ASHRAE. “This MoU will focus our efforts as we seek to develop innovative solutions that will significantly increase our impact around the world.”

“We greatly respect the work ASHRAE is doing, and we look forward to aligning our mutual efforts to support sustainable practices in the built environment,” says Jason Nelson, executive director. “It no longer makes economic sense to invest in infrastructure without technology. We hope our collaboration will bring attention to the opportunity to build more sustainable and resilient cities.”