At USGBC’s 9th annual Government Summit last week it was as clear to all in attendance that governments at every level are leading by example in building sustainability. Among the signs of progress was Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announcing an increased commitment by the U.S. Navy and Marines to build to LEED Gold, up from their previous LEED Silver commitment. We also saw USGBC award the 2011 Federal Green Building Leadership Awards to both Kathleen Hogan and the ENERGY STAR program for their foundational work.
Blog
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Sen. Carper Announces Act to Improve Federal Buildings
With the backdrop of USGBC’s eighth annual Government Summit, Senator Tom Carper (DE) announced the introduction of the Reducing Federal Energy Dollars Act of 2011, which aims to improve the operations of owned and leased federal buildings.
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Maryland Legislation Enables Broader Fundamental Protections through Green Building Code
When Governor Martin O’Malley signed MD HB 972 into law today, Maryland took a critical step toward completing the backbone of the green building policy puzzle.
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A Step Toward Utopia: Green Building in Australia and New Zealand
I am doubly blessed and privileged to have both a green job and a globally focused role at USGBC. The increasingly world-wide green building community is making the planet feel a lot smaller and more hospitable these days to those committed to the mission of USGBC and like-minded groups. A trip I took to New Zealand and Australia last month highlighted that reality in a very vivid way.
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USGBC Updates White Paper and Introduces a New Policy Brief
The green building code conversation has gathered some impressive momentum since last year’s joint release of the International Green Construction Code and Standard 189.1. A handful of jurisdictions have already committed to study how they might implement this set of codes and standards (in the IGCC’s Public Version 2.0, Standard 189.1 is included as a jurisdictional compliance option of the IGCC).
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Department of Education Announces Landmark Green Schools Program
The federal government recently launched an initiative that may be the biggest thing to ever happen to the green schools movement.
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson, and White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley announced the creation of a Green Ribbon Schools program. (Read the Green Ribbon Schools press release from the Department of Education.)
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There’s More to Be Done: Government Summit Will Expand on Federal Government’s Green Building Efforts
With the release yesterday of the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) sustainability scorecards for federal agencies and departments, the public got its first progress report on federal agency efforts to cut emissions.
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Members of Congress Weigh In On Green Schools
Earlier this week, Representatives Jim Matheson (UT-2) and Ben Chandler (KY-6), Co-Chairs of the Congressional Green Schools Caucus, shared a letter with their colleagues in support of green schools. Representative Matheson noted, “As we debate the budget and seek fiscal reform at the local, state, and federal levels, we want to highlight one area where taxpayers are seeing a significant return on their investment: green building, particularly green schools.”
Read the full letter below.
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Federal Shutdown Looming: Government Efficiency Continues to be Whipping Boy in House Budget Debate
With negotiations between the House and Senate failing to reach a breakthrough over a six-month spending bill for the rest of fiscal year 2011 (FY11), Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) and House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers (R-KY) have released a bill that includes a one-week measure that includes $12 billion in cuts.
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Final Budget Deal is Still Thin on Important Funding for Green Building
Late last week, in an effort to avoid the first shutdown of the federal government in 16 years, the Obama administration and Congress agreed on a framework to fund the government for the rest of the fiscal year 2011 (FY11). The broader details of the legislation (scheduled for a vote later this week) have only recently been released.