Green building's footprint tends to grow fastest in countries that have national policies that promote construction of sustainable, energy-efficient structures, according to a report by Lux Research. The study found that national building codes that boost energy efficiency and the availability of financial aid helped drive sustainable construction in places such as Singapore and Germany. The U.S., which relies largely on local ordinances and voluntary organizations to drive sustainable construction, didn’t land in the top quadrant of countries in the report, despite significant pockets of cutting-edge green building activity.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Jun 15, 2022
Waived tariffs on solar panels expected to boost solar power
The Biden Administration recently waived tariffs on solar panels from four countries in a move advocates say will accelerate the clean energy transition and benefit national security.
Codes and Standards | Jun 14, 2022
Hospitals’ fossil fuel use trending downward, but electricity use isn’t declining as much
The 2021 Hospital Energy and Water Benchmarking Survey by Grumman|Butkus Associates found that U.S. hospitals’ use of fossil fuels is declining since the inception of the annual survey 25 years ago, but electricity use is dipping more slowly.
Building Technology | Jun 9, 2022
GSA Green Proving Ground program selects six innovative building technologies for evaluation
The U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA) Green Proving Ground program, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy, has selected six innovative building technologies for evaluation in GSA’s inventory.
Codes and Standards | Jun 8, 2022
Florida Legislature passes bill requiring stricter condominium inspection
The Florida Legislature recently passed a bill to beef up building inspection requirements for many of the state’s condominiums.
Codes and Standards | Jun 7, 2022
FEMA launches National Initiative to Advance Building Codes
The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has launched a new government-wide effort to boost national resiliency and reduce energy costs.
Codes and Standards | Jun 2, 2022
Guide helps schools find funding for buildings from federal, state government
New Buildings Institute (NBI) recently released a guide to help schools identify funding programs for facilities improvements available from federal and state government programs.
Codes and Standards | Jun 2, 2022
New design guide for hybrid steel-mass timber frames released
The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) has released the first-ever set of U.S. recommendations for hybrid steel frames with mass timber floors, according to a news release.
Codes and Standards | Jun 1, 2022
HKS, U. of Texas Dallas partner on brain health study
HKS and The University of Texas at Dallas’ Center for BrainHealth are conducting a six-month study to improve the way the firm’s employees work, collaborate, and innovate, both individually and as an organization, according to a news release.
Mass Timber | May 31, 2022
Tall mass timber buildings number 139 worldwide
An audit of tall mass timber buildings turned up 139 such structures around the world either complete, under construction, or proposed.
Legislation | May 20, 2022
Arlington County, Virginia may legalize multifamily housing countywide
Arlington County, Va., a Washington, D.C.-area community, is considering proposed legislation that would remove zoning restrictions on multifamily housing up to eight units in size.