Center on Sustainable Communities, or COSC, and the Greater Des Moines Partnership announced a new luncheon series aimed at addressing ways in which sustainable building practices can help lessen the impact on the environment, promote better health and save money. Created to support the Downtown Community Alliance’s EcoCore program, which centers on improving the competitive profile of downtown Des Moines by greening up vacant office buildings, the first Sustainable Commercial Development Lunch and Learn will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Feb. 2 at the Greater Des Moines Partnership Building, 700 Locust St. The event will include an update on the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification process by Mike Mormon, former president of the Iowa chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, and a presentation by Kevin Monson of Neumann Monson Architects, which has completed a number of LEED projects. The cost is $15 for COSC and Partnership members and $25 for nonmembers. To register, go to www.icosc.com.