This summer, the Emerging Professionals National Committee launched a new member initiative with the goal of 5,000 new Emerging Professionals by December 2015. An Emerging Professional (EP) is anyone out of school, under 30, with an interest in sustainability. EPs are the energetic and dynamic leaders of tomorrow’s green building movement, and are a key component to the succession planning and sustainability of a USGBC chapter. See what EPs are up to on Twitter using the hashtag #USGBCEP! To...

It’s no secret that business as usual is changing: A Deloitte study found that 90 percent of companies have set goals for their electricity and energy management practices. Two-thirds of CFOs are involved in their company’s sustainability strategies. From chief sustainability officers to corporate sustainability reports, consciousness about environmental impact has entered the C-suite. That’s pretty exciting. For many of you, USGBC member companies and sustainability trailblazers, the concepts...

"LEED certification in buildings benefits the environment and the bottom line. LEED certified buildings in San Francisco and around the country are saving money and increasing their property value while reducing their overall environmental footprint,” says Melanie Nutter, Director of the San Francisco Department of the Environment. “Since buildings contribute 53% of greenhouse gas emissions in San Francisco, it is essential that we address inefficiencies in the built environment. Our cutting...

Refined and expanded paths provide added flexibility, options for international projects pursuing LEED green building certification Washington, DC – (Oct. 23, 2012) – A new set of Global Alternative Compliance Paths, or Global ACPs, are now available for all commercial projects pursuing LEED green building certification using the 2009 versions of the rating systems. Global ACPs offer a flexible method for projects around the world to demonstrate compliance with the LEED credits that are...

While green buildings, by their most obvious definition, address environmental impacts, they also have wide implications for human health, safety and productivity. Well-ventilated green schools can reduce instances of asthma in students. Green offices with day lit spaces boost employee productivity and attendance. Patients feel faster in green hospitals with views to nature. As we plan for the future of our planet, it is imperative that we consider the effects of development on both the...

One of our customers recently wrote us to share a fresh perspective on sustainability—from her son. From his perspective, the solar panels on their roof are the norm, and he seems genuinely puzzled if his friends’ homes don’t have them as well. To him, solar panels are as much a part of modern life as TVs and refrigerators. There’s an important lesson here. A cleaner, healthier world shouldn’t be an alternative to the norm; it should be the norm. And nowhere is this more urgent than in our...

Award to be presented at Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in San Francisco Washington, D.C. – (Oct. 26, 2012) – The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has announced Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson as the recipient of its 2012 Richard M. Daley Legacy Award for Global Leadership in Creating Sustainable Cities. First presented to Mayor Daley at the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in Chicago in 2010, this award honors his legacy by recognizing outstanding vision, leadership...

Year of the Dragon. Summer of Love. Time-stamping cultural movements isn’t a new phenomenon, but the “Decade of Downtown” is. Declared by San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, the Decade of Downtown heralds a shift toward developing San Antonio’s downtown neighborhoods. The only question that remains is: How? In their Greenbuild 2012 education session, “Dream It, Map It, Do It: Delivering on a City Vision,” three industry pros weigh in how to reimagine San Antonio’s downtown sustainably – and how...

Between September 3 and October 4, 2012, USGBC members participated in the annual election of the USGBC Board of Directors. Five directors were elected, each for a three-year term and representing the perspectives listed below. At its recent meeting, the Board additionally appointed two directors and two directors were elected by the Board to serve as Chair-Elect and Secretary. Please join USGBC in welcoming these elected directors to the 2013 Board! Facility Management & Operations...

Join us at the Greenbuild Film Festival to view “The Greenest Building.” While not always recognized as a consumer product, buildings are in fact one of our most significant manufactured goods. And, like all manufacturing, construction of buildings requires a complex combination of natural resources and energy in order to produce a finished product. Everyday, all across America, decisions are made on how to build them, where to build them and when to throw them away. At current rates,...

Related articles: USGBC's Oct. 24 Statement in Response to USA Today Article Fact Check with USGBC's Brendan Owens Myths vs. Facts on LEED Statement from Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair “By embracing free enterprise and using market-based approaches we have proven that a healthy environment and a strong economy can go hand and hand. The U.S. Green Building Council is moving the green building industry forward in a way that has never been seen before. Yes, green growth is...

Our weekly collection of green building clips. Share your good reads of the week in the comments below. Have a great weekend! Prefabricated homes build a following, promise efficiency, The Kansas City Star: "Would you want your car to be built in your driveway? Of course not." An excellent piece building the case for pre-fabricated homes. The future of agriculture may be up, The Wall Street Journal: WSJ profiles a new agricultural revolution. Little brick building on Grand Rapids' West Side...