The Green Building Initiative group based in Portland, Ore., met with the Department of Agriculture on a plan to include locally sourced materials in its green building standards. The measure is expected to boost jobs in rural communities.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack helmed the “White House Rural Council Workshop - Building with Wood: Jobs and the Environment.” Shaffer detailed her group's “commitment to promoting building construction projects that use green materials, while also supporting jobs in rural communities.”
The discussion was primarily concerned with the use of wood in construction, but GBI is more concerned about wood’s impact on climate change. “Our focus is not on wood construction per se, but more importantly on its role in carbon sequestration and supporting the transition to a low-carbon economy,” said Erin Shaffer, vice president of national affairs with GBI.
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