As we begin to turn the corner on the pandemic in the U.S., state and local governments are easing restrictions and opening back up. As such, businesses are wondering how their reentry strategies will fare going forward. Will airlines maintain more flexible booking? Will telemedicine keep expanding? Will curbside or delivered meals be a staple of the future? It is a positive sign to be asking these questions, as other nations, unfortunately, still suffer through tragic outbreaks of COVID-19, including my home country of India.

At USGBC, GBCI and Arc, we shifted over a year ago to make clearer than ever our commitment to sustainability, health and wellness, resilience, and equity. “Healthy people in healthy places equals a healthy economy” became our mantra. We knew that business as usual within our organizations had to change. Not just because we could not convene at Greenbuild, but because the community we served suddenly had very different needs. When and how commercial offices would welcome back their people was a major consideration. And this year’s USGBC and GBCI community survey—perhaps expectedly—revealed that the people and organizations we serve want our help and support as it relates to confidence and trust when people reenter the office (or buildings, generally speaking).

In fact, the survey’s top issue ranked by our community for how USGBC and GBCI can help was indoor air quality and the health and well-being of individuals. These factors would not likely have been at the very top of the list before the pandemic—but we were quick to adapt, as needed.