The U.S. Green Building Council rolled out new programs and updates to foster the LEED Positive approach.
The goal is to move LEED further down the road to net zero and prepare for a shift to regenerative strategies. The new initiatives include:
· USGBC ALL IN – A new equity program to serve as a roadmap for how the organization and the green building community can better contribute to addressing social, health, and economic disparities in communities around the world.
· Living Standard – An expanded Living Standard campaign will become the organization’s pivotal grassroot initiative, a tool to share best practices.
· Return on Investment (ROI) Study – This program is intended to help the industry better quantify the benefits of green building. USGBC will conduct an ROI study that looks at the value of investment and the impact of green building.
· LEED Zero for design – A LEED Zero rating system will be released for projects in the design phase.
“The world today is facing intersecting crises that cannot be resolved with fragmented solutions, but require integrated, equitable practices and an industry-wide commitment to standardizing those practices,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO of USGBC, Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), and Arc, in a news release.
Related Stories
| Nov 3, 2011
Sierra Club Critical of Albuquerque Mayor’s Push to Weaken Green Code
The mayor’s plan to move to a less environmentally friendly code would mean confusion for people in the construction industry and a loss of energy efficiency and money for consumers, said Shrayas Jatkar of the Sierra Club.
| Nov 3, 2011
Lax Code Enforcement Blamed for Deaths in Turkey’s Earthquake
Despite tough safety codes approved a decade ago after earthquakes killed 18,000 people, lax enforcement led to hundreds of deaths after a recent earthquake in Turkey.
| Nov 3, 2011
International Green Construction Code Will Provide Template for Local Codes
A uniform code for green construction is being readied for publication in March.
| Oct 31, 2011
NIST issues new code requirements
Buildings taller than 420 feet are now required to include an extra exit stairwell or a specially designed elevator that occupants can use for evacuations.
| Oct 28, 2011
Los Angeles County mulling building codes for improving health
An ordinance would amend county building codes to promote better walking environments, encourage more bicycling, improve access to healthy foods (farmers markets, community gardens), and enhance project review requirements to ensure that developers include healthy-lifestyle components in their building plans.
| Oct 28, 2011
Bipartisan opposition to federal 3% withholding for contractors
Both major political parties and the Obama Administration support repealing a law that would withhold 3% of all government contracts.
| Oct 28, 2011
OSHA requires training module on top causes of construction deaths
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) now requires a training module on the top four causes of death for construction workers.
| Oct 28, 2011
New York City requiring building energy use to be posted online
Owners of every New York City commercial and residential building larger than 50,000 sf will have to post each building’s energy use online by 2013.
| Oct 28, 2011
New ISO standard for escalator safety
A new ISO standard specifies safety requirements for escalators and moving walks.
| Oct 20, 2011
LEED 2012 to require real-time energy, water use reporting
The LEED 2012 rating system, set to launch in November 2012, will contain features to make sure buildings function as intended, and improve over time.