Armed Forces Green Building Leaders to Convene in Virginia Beach

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Photo credit: H&A Architect & Engineers, a USGBC member company

Hampton Roads Virginia – Feb. 18, 2013 – Facilities in the United States Armed Forces lead the way in implementing sustainable design and construction practices. Hampton Roads Green Building Council (HRGBC), a chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, will showcase these practices at GREEN IN THE MILITARY 4 (GIM4), Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013

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A Nod to Demand Response from the White House

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Two years ago, USGBC had the crazy idea of bringing together both sides of the grid – utilities and technology solution providers AND owners and managers of LEED registered and certified buildings – with the end goal of increasing participation in Demand Response and Smart Grid programs.

And now there’s one more voice to add to the conversation: that of the Federal Government.

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Transforming Minds and Markets under the Capitol Dome

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Looking up at the capitol dome in Des Moines, Iowa.

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If you thought we had a lot to celebrate in 2012, just brace yourself for 2013. Green building advocates have already mobilized for policy action in South Carolina, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, Kentucky, Arkansas, Iowa and Colorado. I was fortunate enough to join the USGBC chapter-led advocacy efforts in Des Moines and Denver last week, and I think we’re on the verge of something big.

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Civil Society Calls for Greater Engagement in the UNEP Process

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UNEP Rio +20 Conference

“From Outcome to Implementation” – That was the theme of the first universal session of the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Governing Council and Global Ministerial Environment Forum (GC/GMEF), which convened on Monday . The agenda for the meeting, open to all 193 UN member states for the first time, sought to create a framework for the implementation of the Rio+20 “The Future We Want” outcome document.

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LEED v4 Public Comment: Refining the system

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We want to thank you for your contribution to the development of LEED v4. With the ballot only four months away, we are taking every moment to make sure the rating systems are fully usable and the program has been thoroughly tested.

The last step in the development process is one final public comment period, open March 1 – March 31, 2013. This comment period will focus on refinement (both in the credit language and in calculations) and provides the public with one last chance to give feedback on the system before the member vote in June.

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Building Benchmarking: The Next Big Thing

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Central Minneapolis across the Mississippi River. Photo credit: kla4067 via flik

Recently, the city of Minneapolis became the latest city to lead by example in improving building performance by requiring the benchmarking and disclosure of energy and water usage for the city’s public and commercial building stock. USGBC supports benchmarking initiatives through the Mainstream Building Benchmarking Campaign and applauds the city’s move.

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