November 28, 2011

Why is it still so hard for consumers to identify a product that is sustainable?

It turns out that is the very same question considered by a study conducted in mid-2011 by Ryan Partnership Chicago and Mambo Sprouts Marketing. Consumers who are interested in the green credentials of the products they are buying have grown weary of deciphering multiple labels, although they DO want better eco-labels. The research, released in a report called “One Green Score for One Earth,” suggests that if consumers could figure out WHICH products to buy more easily, they would spend more on “true” green brands.

Among consumers who say that sustainability is at least somewhat important to them, 9 out of 10 said they want some sort of universal scoring system to help them make more informed choices.

Smart Planet

November 22, 2011

An interesting interview with J. Carl Ganter. Ganter is the managing director of Circle of Blue, an organization that uses journalists and scientists to report on global water issues.

Water runs through our economies. Without water, we wouldn’t have silicon chips, the ability to generate energy, or supply agriculture with enough water for food. Without water, our economies and lives are at stake.

Smart Planet

November 14, 2011

Recycled multipurpose paper is often priced 50 percent higher than comparable virgin paper. A pack of mechanical pencils made with recycled plastic costs significantly more than the same brand made with virgin plastic. We have heard a lot over the years about the benefits of closing the materials loop. This means not just diverting waste from landfills but also producing and purchasing products with significant recycled content. But why do the price signals appear to be so skewed?

In an ideal world, prices would follow the same trend as environmental impacts and recycled materials would offer a significant economic advantage. The real world is messier and prices have other strong drivers, which makes it a challenge to reduce the environmental footprints of the materials that we consume. This article discusses why recycled paper, glass and plastic are more expensive for the consumer.

Environmental Leader

November 14, 2011

Manufacturing, which accounts for about 35 per cent of the global electricity use and over 20 per cent of CO2 emissions, has a sizable opportunity to reduce its carbon footprint. According to International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates, the challenge of rising greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions could be handled through the global application of best available technologies in the five most intensive manufacturing industries – chemicals, iron and steel, cement, pulp and paper, and aluminum. In doing so, energy consumption could be reduced by between 13 percent and 29 percent.

More importantly, manufacturers can bring down their GHG emissions while improving their efficiency and productivity. There are several ways they can realize these twin benefits – by improving the energy efficiency of existing processes, by adopting new eco-friendly processes and technologies, by using renewable sources of energy and finally, by reducing the amount of waste and hazardous byproducts generated by their operations.

Environmental Leader

November 14, 2011

Building performance tracking is useful not only for tracking energy use but for improving indoor air quality, ensuring ventilation rate compliance and even preventing dangerous gas leaks, according to a new handbook by the non-profit California Commissioning Collaborative.

The Building Performance Tracking Handbook aid that building performance can help identify and address system performance and safety problems more quickly than they would be otherwise, preventing those problems from turning into liabilities.

Building performance tracking helps to reduce energy costs as well as complaints from occupiers, by helping operators to gather and analyze the huge amounts of data generated by building systems, and allowing them to benchmark building performance. For building owners, this can increase property value as well as net operating income.

Environmental Leader

October 31, 2011

Check this blog post out. It's about corporate social responsibility, and several companies that are committed to that effort.

Staples and Wegmans are two recent examples who, in a partnership with the EPA, worked collaboratively with the thermal paper manufacturers to explain that a key to their business model is supplying products that people want to buy because they are safe and healthy. The retailers convinced these suppliers that thermal paper with bisphenol A (BPA) does not meet their needs as it is associated with adverse effects in the environment and may be problematic for people. Thanks to these business leaders, the EPA is now examining 19 alternatives to BPA with the active engagement of the full supply chain.

Forbes

October 17, 2011

Munch Re, IBM and National Australia Bank have topped this year’s Newsweek Green Rankings for companies worldwide, while IBM, HP and Sprint lead the pack for the U.S.

Last year Dell, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Johnson & Johnson and Intel were the top five leaders among the 500 largest public U.S. companies. These same five companies topped the publication’s inaugural Green Rankings in 2009.

Newsweek says its results suggest that companies are taking environmental risks seriously, even as climate change slips down the public sector agenda.

To produce the rankings, Newsweek worked with environmental research providers Trucost and Sustainalytics to assess each company’s environmental footprint, environmental management, and transparency.

Environmental Leader

October 4, 2011

The Greenhouse Gas Protocol today published two standards to help businesses measure, manage and report GHG emissions beyond their own operations, including the finalized version of long-awaited scope 3 guidance.

The Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) and Product Life Cycle standards were developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). The WRI said the standards will allow companies to measure and manage the full scope of emissions in their value chain and products for the first time, while helping to move businesses and reporting programs to one harmonized global reporting framework.

It includes guidance for companies on how to prepare and publicly report a GHG emissions inventory that includes indirect emissions resulting from value chain activities. The GHG Protocol’s previously released Corporate Standard gives companies flexibility in whether and how to account for scope 3 emissions, the organization says.

Scope 3 emissions can represent the largest source of emissions for companies and present the most significant opportunities to influence GHG reductions, the Protocol adds.

Environmental Leader

September 29, 2011

We are entering a decisive moment in the world of reporting. Regulatory, commercial and stakeholder pressures are mounting with impacts on both financial and non-financial reporting.

In the past fortnight, the International Integrated Reporting Committee (IIRC) has launched a pilot programme and consultation into integrated reports as a next step in gaining acceptance for an international framework. The aim is to forge a global consensus on non-financial reporting and provide guidance to organisations on "communicating the broad set of information needed by investors and other stakeholders to assess the organisation's long-term prospects in a clear, concise, connected and comparable format".

Check out the article for the findings.

The Guardian

Photo: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images

September 27, 2011

Today the California Academy of Sciences achieved a groundbreaking feat of sustainable design as the U.S. Green Building Council presented it with its second LEED Platinum certification, making it America’s first double platinum museum, and the world’s largest double platinum building! The green-roofed museum designed by Renzo Piano continues to perform to the highest sustainable standards three years after it received its first LEED rating.

Of the 80 points available, the Academy received an unprecedented 82. This is for achieving the very best marks in sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy use and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation in the design process.

inhabitat

September 28, 2011

A bid by an Al Gore-backed consortium to control a major new "green" web domain has been dropped, paving the way for a rival pitch by an organisation supported by Mikhail Gorbachev.

The global power struggle, with echoes of the cold war, is over control of the new .eco internet domain which could be up and running by 2013. This is one of hundreds of new top level domains (TLDs) set to be created soon, meaning that .guardian, .nyc and .bank could soon join the existing 22 suffixes including the more familiar .com and .net (which are separate of the country-specific domain endings such as .uk), following a decision by the internet regulator Icann in June 2011.

Gore's Alliance for Climate Protection campaign group published a green paper in 2009, making a starry pitch for management of the .eco domain, and taking on a rival bid by Canadian company Big Room. That bid is supported by Gorbachev-founded charity Green Cross International. But the Guardian has learned that Gore's group has quietly dropped its plan, leaving the door open for Big Room to act as the registry for the new domain.

The Guardian

Photo: Tim Sloan/AFP/Getty Images

September 27, 2011

Energy efficiency loan financing is proving to be a stable, low risk investment with low default rates and large-scale potential, according to What Have We Learned from Energy Efficiency Financing Programs?, a study released today by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). A review of 24 energy efficiency loan programs finds extremely low default rates ranging from 0–3% throughout the life of the financing program. Default rates for efficiency loan programs have also remained largely unchanged, even during the near collapse of the real estate market over the past few years.

“Energy efficiency loans are proving to be a winning investment in a time of economic uncertainty. Based on these findings, now is the time to scale-up to serve many more homeowners and businesses,” said ACEEE Executive Director Steven Nadel.

American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy

September 27, 2011

Check out this video on NASA's Sustainability Base here on earth. It's worth a viewing, or two.

Smart Planet

September 27, 2011

A Santa Monica architect decided to use an entire 747 jet to build a client’s home…and his client agreed. To grant his client’s wishes for a feminine, curvy, and eco-friendly house, David Hertz of Studio of Environmental Architecture recycled an airplane into a 4,000 square foot residence in Malibu named the Wing House.

Hertz originally intended to use only wings of an airplane, but he discovered that buying an entire plane made economical sense. The aircraft held enough raw materials to build almost the entire home. One wing alone is over 2,500 square feet and the cargo space makes up 17,000 cubic feet of space.

The airplane was obtained from a scrap yard in California where retired planes are sold for the price of aluminum. The giant structures come with the benefits of being prefabricated and pre-engineered. At a purchase price of $35,000 and a yield of 4.5 million metal pieces, the 747 was a relative bargain even after taking into account the cost of transporting the pieces via helicopter.

Smart Planet

September 26, 2011

Why does Union Bank have a substantial dedicated environmental stewardship team? Why has Citibank pledged to invest $50 billion in climate change solutions? Why does Bank of America offer a Visa card with points that support The Nature Conservancy? In many cases, going green represents a major opportunity. Read the article to find out why.

Environmental Leader

September 26, 2011

A full half of multinational companies plan to select suppliers based on carbon performance, according to a study by Carbon Trust Advisory.

The research says that 29% of suppliers are likely to lose their places on green supply chains if they do not have adequate performance records on carbon. The research also finds that 58% of multinationals will in the future pay a premium for low carbon suppliers to reduce their overall corporate carbon footprints.

In the U.K., 56% of multinationals said that in the future they expect to drop suppliers based upon low carbon performance, compared to just 28% in the U.S.

The research consisted of 100 interviews carried out by Dynamic Markets. Respondents were from the senior manager level or above, working for companies with at least 1,000 employees and with operations, subsidiaries, or investments in more than two countries.

Environmental Leader

September 26, 2011

Renewable energy has snagged just a fraction of the federal subsidies that fossil fuels and nuclear received when they were emerging technologies, according to a new report from venture capital firm DBL Investors.

The analysis was conducted by Nancy Pfund, a managing partner at DBL Investors of San Francisco, and Ben Healy, a Yale graduate student and former staff director for the Massachusetts legislature’s environment and natural resource committee. Pfund and Healy say — as far as they know — they’re the first to quantify exactly how the current federal commitment to renewables compares to support for earlier energy transitions.

To be clear, the analysis has its shortfalls. For example, the authors acknowledge the difficulty of determining what should count as a subsidy. The report also doesn’t quantify the value of renewable energy mandates nor does include state levels subsidies. And the report only takes data up to 2009, meaning stimulus bill money isn’t included.

Smart Planet

September 26, 2011

An electric vehicle doesn’t just consume electricity. Its battery stores power, taken from the grid for use later on the road. When that power originates at a wind turbine or solar cell, the electric cars avoid burning fossil fuels. Unfortunately, the grid’s limited storage capacity can’t always accept the full surge of power coming in during windy weather. But if enough electric cars charge up at the right time, their batteries en masse could help welcome more renewable energy to the grid.

Two recent studies explore how hybrid and electric cars could help smooth out the gusts of wind power entering the electric grid and the technologies that could help them do so. Follow the link to read about the studies.

Smart Planet

September 26, 2011

In Oakland, California, a man grows veggies with fish excrement instead of soil. Eric Maudu’s garden is wired with sensors that let him know just how thirsty his plants are, even when he’s not home. The garden has sensors hooked up, so Maudu can tell when the water is running low. The plants have sensors that tweet updates so he can know in real-time how his garden is doing.

So what do you need for an aquaponic system? All you need is fish, filters, the ability to compost the waste, and an appetite for fresh vegetables.

Smart Planet

September 26, 2011

In an effort to develop renewable energy infrastructure, the U.S. Army recently announced that it’s seeking $7.1 billion in private sector investment in alternative energy projects over the next ten years. Such projects would provide the Army with 2.1 million megawatt hours of power annually. The newly-formed Energy Initiatives Office Task Force (EIO), which was created to address the Army’s energy challenges, will manage these projects.

As part of a power purchase agreement, private companies would build the technologies on Army property for free, and the Army would purchase the energy at a later date. Such an agreement would mean that the Army could use its abundant federal land space as a way to invest in renewable technologies in spite of current budgetary shortfalls—shortfalls that have threatened to hinder its energy efficiency goals of operating on 25 percent renewable energy by 2025.

Smart Planet

Photo: Flickr/U.S. Army Environmental Command

September 26, 2011

Passengers at Chicago’s O’Hare airport might be traveling all across the world, but their food won’t travel far.

That’s because a new 928-square-foot, soil-less, aeroponic urban garden will provide produce for many of the airport’s restaurants, and an oasis for weary travelers.

An aeroponic garden works something like this: seeds are planted first in small cubes of ultra-nutritious volcanic rock, which holds in water and naturally biodegrades. When the plants grow to a certain size, they are moved to the vertical, aeroponic towers, where they sit under special lamps and undergo a regular watering cycle of 15 minutes, with 30 minutes between watering cycles. But the water is not wasted, it is recycled through the towers so that no water evaporates.

Smart Planet

September 26, 2011

“Smart” windows have long had a reputation as a really neat cost-saving idea that never quite caught on with the masses.

What makes them so attractive is that concept is simple: they darken with a special tint to keep rooms cool in the summer and clear up to let heat in during the winter months. The problem, however, is t\hat the underlying technology isn’t. For instance, the options on the market tend be expensive and deteriorate, losing effectiveness over time. Factor in the fact that the manufacturing process involves potentially toxic substances and you can see why they’re starting to sound a lot less appealing. But now, a Korean research team has developed a window system that overcomes these drawbacks.

Ho Sun Lim, Jeong Ho Cho, Jooyong Kim and Chang Hwan Lee discovered that by combining a polymer called “counterions” and a solvent like methanol resulted in an cheaper and less harsh way to make a stable, robust smart window. They’re also easily adjustable, switching from 100% opaque to almost completely clear in seconds.

Smart Planet

Image: American Chemical Society

September 22, 2011

Ikea’s private ownership helps the company act sustainably, according to the firm’s CEO, in a case study prepared for the launch of Climate Week NYC.

“What is good for our customers is also good for us in the long run. We are not on the stock exchange, so we can act long term,” CEO Mikael Ohlsson wrote, in a case study on CleanRevolution.org, launched yesterday by Climate Week NYC secretariat The Climate Group.

In its case study, Ikea said that its history and ownership model have created a strongly values-based organization with a social mission, and that the company has avoided the “short-term profit obsession” of a listed firm. The Ikea Group is owned by the Stichting INGKA Foundation, and all Ikea Group companies are held by INGKA Holding B.V.

Environmental Leader

September 21, 2011

New York House salutes the winners of its third annual Innovative Green Design Awards competition, which concluded on Aug 10. This year, the judges found a lot of new technology and improved design among the entries. Ultimately, the winners were those with minimal environmental impact in their manufacturing processes, products that reduced consumption of water or electricity, and items that creatively used recycled materials.

New York House Magazine

September 21, 2011

Washington, DC - (September 21, 2011) - Countries around the world are kicking off World Green Building Week, and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is doing its part by helping move the green economy debate forward, locally and globally, through its participation in a series of events this fall. As a whole, the events support USGBC's efforts to make green cities and buildings pillars of sustainable economic development in all regions of the world.

This October, USGBC will host its Greenbuild International Conference & Expo in Toronto. Attendance at the event, taking place Oct. 4-7, is expected to hit 25,000 people and will feature keynote speakers Thomas Friedman, Dr. Paul Farmer, Cokie Roberts and New York City Mayor Bloomberg, as well as nearly 1,000 of the world's most innovative green building companies. Greenbuild also features hundreds of educational sessions, a master speaker's series, local green building tours and an opening plenary celebration featuring a performance by the chart topping band, Maroon 5.

New York House Magazine

September 21, 2011

The Clinton Global Initiative. The topic at hand: the rapidly urbanizing world population and the megacities. This article gives a nice overview of the discussions held.

Smart Planet

Photos: Todd France/CGI

September 21, 2011

Greenstart, a clean tech accelerator based in San Francisco, announces its first four companies to the 12-week program.

Greenstart co-founder Mitch Lowe talks about the importance of motivating talented individuals to solve energy problems and San Francisco’s Mayor Edwin Lee about his thoughts on the accelerator. The video ends with pitches from the four companies.

Smart Planet

September 20, 2011

Electric cars currently in the market are limited by their range and charging times. But now researchers at Toyota Central R&D Labs and Toyohashi University of Technology think they may have come up with a solution that will allow electric cars to drive unlimited distances - electrified roadways.

While the idea of electrifying roadways has been mulled for decades — previous efforts have included attempts to charge coils attached to a car through electrified coils placed on the road — this technology would allow energy to enter a car through its tires (which makes far more sense considering it’s unreasonable to expect coils in a moving car to perfectly align. Tires, on the other hand, have direct contact with the road).

The concept does raise some concerns about the expense and time that is required to dig up roads to install the infrastructure or from the dangers to the public caused by stepping on an electrified metal strip — but a version of the the idea is currently being implemented at Boston’s Logan Airport, so we’ll wait and see what the outcome is.

Smart Planet

September 20, 2011

As the City of Los Angeles conducts ongoing (and at times acrimonious) discussions over whether to welcome a football team from the National Football League, entertainment giant AEG announced on Tuesday that it would make the planned Farmers Field the “most environmentally sustainable stadium in the world.”

The company set aside $1 billion to construct the stadium, a 72,000-seat behemoth planned for downtown Los Angeles. It says it’s working with the U.S. Green Building Council and the Natural Resources Defense Council to ensure that when it is complete, it will be the first NFL stadium to receive LEED certification.

The company isn’t the only driving factor for efficiency. The California State Senate and Assembly passed a bill requiring AEG to make the new stadium 100 percent carbon neutral — including the emissions generated from private car trips to and from the stadium.

Smart Planet

September 14, 2011

Now, hotels interested in operating more sustainably have some additional help in the form of a green toolkit from the United National World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). The toolkit is part of the Hotel Energy Solutions initiative, focused on helping hoteliers evaluate energy consumption, source renewable power and improve their overall energy management profile. Aside from the UNWTO, other partners backing the effort are the UN Environment Program, the International Hotel & Restaurant Association, the European Renewable Council, and the French Environment and Energy Management Agency.

The Element’s hotel in Ewing, N.J., was designated as the first New Jersey hotel certified under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program in May 2011. All hotels under the Element brand are striving for LEED certification, and the Element Ewing Hopewell is the fourth one to do so. Starwood, overall, now manages 15 properties worldwide that have been LEED-certified — the most of any global hospital company.

Smart Planet

September 9, 2011

Consumer products brand Unilever has become a “zero to landfill” manufacturer in its U.K. operations, the company has announced.

The company now recycles 97 percent of its waste through its waste contractor Veolia. The remaining three percent is converted into energy, Unilever says.

All 11 of the company’s U.K. manufacturing sites – which combined are responsible for around 25 percent of the company’s European waste – its two U.K. laboratories and two UK office buildings are part of the commitment. The zero to landfill pledge is part of Unilever’s global sustainable living plan, which sets out its ambition to double the size of the business whilst reducing its environmental impact.

Unilever has reduced its total waste in manufacturing per ton of production by 77 percent since 1995, according to the company.

Environmental Leader

September 9, 2011

Businesses that invest in renewable energy could make average returns of 11 to 12 percent, with the potential for returns in excess of 20 percent, according to research by U.K. low-carbon advocacy group Carbon Trust.

New financial incentives, energy market trends and building regulations are combining to create what Carbon Trust calls “a compelling case” for British businesses to generate their own renewable energy, according to The Case For Renewables in U.K. Business.

The trust singles out government initiatives such as the renewable heat incentive and the feed-in tariff as two programs that are key to this “compelling case”. The research also highlights predictions that energy prices are set to grow by up to 37 percent by 2020 as a major factor affecting the financial success of investing in renewable energy.

Environmental Leader

September 9, 2011

The Department of Energy has announced $245.9 million in loan guarantees and grants for a variety of renewable energy and electric vehicle projects.

Energy secretary Steven Chu (pictured) announced $43 million over the next five years aimed at speeding technical innovations, lowering costs, and shortening the timeline for deploying offshore wind energy systems.

The 41 projects across 20 states will aim advance wind turbine design tools and hardware, improve information about U.S. offshore wind resources, and accelerate the deployment of offshore wind by reducing market barriers such as supply chain development, transmission, and infrastructure.

Environmental Leader

August 31, 2011

Six stories, 50,000 square feet, and it won’t use a single watt of electricity from the grid, nor a drop of water from the ample supply in downtown Seattle, where it’s sited.A ll of the building’s power will come from solar panels studding its roof and façade. But that’s not nearly enough to power a conventional building, which is where the designers of the Cascadia Center get really clever.

The building will be ultra-insulated, of course, but its remaining heating and cooling needs will be addressed by a geothermal system that pipes water into the ground, and uses that water either to power an air conditioner or to warm air before it’s heated. It’s called a ground-source heat pump.

The building will also get 100 percent of the water it uses from collected rainwater, stored and filtered on-site.

Smart Planet

August 30, 2011

The California Energy Commission has approved more than $29 million for projects that advance biofuels and demonstrate California's commitment to develop cleaner transportation fuels. The seven awards are funded through the Commission's Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program, completing the first two years of the program funding cycle.

"This is a major milestone for our program because it means we have awarded all $175 million from the first two years of the AB 118 program, plus another $14 million from the 2010-11 funding cycle," said Energy Commission Vice Chair James Boyd. "We have awarded more than 82 grants, public agency agreements and program support contracts totaling $189.4 million in AB 118 funding, leveraging more than $425 million in private match funding and creating or retaining about 5,600 jobs. "

Planet-Profit Report

August 16, 2011

Some companies are hesitant about becoming “green,” concerned about the costs or considering it an exotic, non-business issue. They think of this as actions to “save the Earth,” which is not their responsibility. However, sustainability is now recognized as a valid business concern. Savvy companies which have comprehensively addressed the issue have gained core business benefits. This article presents 9 purely business reasons (with real life examples) to develop a robust “green” program.

1) Making the monetary case, 2) create new products and sell more, 3) meet the expectations of customers and suppliers, 4) raise employee morale, 5) fast tracking future projects, 6) improving efficiency, 7) evaluating climate change risks, 8) improving your image, 9) company valuation and GHG emissions.

Environmental Leader

August 16, 2011

The EPA has declined to change the national air quality standards for carbon monoxide, but will require more focused monitoring in densely populated areas.

The agency yesterday said its review of the science showed that air quality standards set in 1971, at nine parts per million over eight hours and 35 ppm measured over one hour, protect public health and the environment. It said CO levels at monitors across the country are quite low and are well within the standards, showing that federal, state and local efforts to reduce CO pollution have been successful.

The EPA said that since 1980, levels of CO in the air have fallen by 80 percent, mostly because of motor vehicle emissions controls.

Environmental Leader

August 5, 2011

“Super green” consumers – those engaged in the highest amount of environmentally-friendly activities – are top earners with a penchant for luxury items, according to a report from Scarborough Research.

“Today’s environmentalists have traded sandals and hemp for cashmere and a Lexus,” vice president of marketing Deirdre McFarland said. “As the American economy continues to try to find its footing, luxury marketers – or, really, any marketer who wants to capture the American high spending population – could benefit from green-focused marketing, promotions and products.”

Environmental Leader

July 22, 2011

Facing continued litigation, California officials will delay enforcement of the state's complex carbon trading program until 2013, state Air Resources Board Chairwoman Mary Nichols announced Wednesday.

The delay in the cap-and-trade program, which was slated to take effect in January, is proposed, she said, because of the "need for all necessary elements to be in place and fully functional."

But in testimony before a state Senate committee, Nichols said the year's delay would not affect the stringency of the program or the amount of greenhouse gases that industries will be forced to cut by the end of the decade.

Los Angeles Times

Photo Credit: Nick Ut/Associated Press

July 22, 2011

Pharmacy chain Walgreens plans to offer electric vehicle charging stations at about 800 locations across the country by the end of the year, making it the nation’s largest charging station retail host.

The charging stations will feature either a high-speed direct current charger that can add 30 miles of range in as little as 10 minutes of charging time, or a Level 2 charger that can add up to 25 miles of range per hour of charge.

Major markets expected to host these sites include Boston, Denver, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. Select locations in Florida, New Jersey, Oregon, Tennessee and Washington state will also receive charging stations, Walgreens says. Installation in these locations begins later this month.

Environmental Leader

July 5, 2011

July 4, 2011

The annual take-up of ‘green’ office space in the top five German markets (Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Munich) has tripled from approximately 50,000 m² on average between 2005 and 2008 to 150,000 m² in 2009/2010.

With €1.1 billion generated from sustainable office buildings on the German investment market in 2010 the transaction volume was more than four times higher than in 2007 (approx. €0.2 billion) according to Savills researchers, and the share of this turnover in the total office investment volume rose from approx. 1% to about 14% during this time. The international real estate advisor suggests that both trends highlight that sustainable offices are no longer a niche product but will become market standard.

Europe Real Estate

June 29, 2011

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has started development of a taxonomy for the eXtensible Business Reporting Language, which holds the promise of automating the disclosure of sustainability data.

GRI and Deloitte have signed an agreement outlining the project, which would include publication of an XBRL taxonomy covering the GRI’s G3 and G3.1 reporting guidelines.

And in related news today, the GRI has announced ten global sponsors of its next generation of reporting guidelines, G4. The companies are Alcoa, Enel, GE, Goldman Sachs, Natura, Shell, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG and PwC.

The global sponsors announced today will be part of The Global G4 Consortium, which will advise GRI on topics to consider in the development of G4, to help ensure it addresses the most important current and future challenges in the corporate reporting field.

Environmental Leader

June 28, 2011

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has launched its LEED Volume Program for Operations & Maintenance, available for existing green building projects.

The operations and maintenance certification is the latest addition to the LEED Volume Program, which is designed to streamline the certification process for high-volume property owners and managers of existing buildings and new construction projects. The program uses a prototype-based approach to enable consistency in green building improvements, which USGBC hopes will allow builders, owners and managers to earn LEED certification faster and at a lower cost than would be possible with individual building reviews.

“Because existing buildings make up the vast majority of the U.S. building stock and the existing building market is nearly 100 times larger than the new construction market, tools like this are essential to reducing energy consumption from this sector,” said Scot Horst, Senior Vice President, USGBC.

Environmental Leader

June 26, 2011

As part of the Obama Administration's efforts to improve commercial building efficiency 20% by 2020, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced a new partnership that will work to ensure that appraisers nationwide have the information, practical guidelines, and professional resources they need to evaluate energy performance when conducting commercial building appraisals.

In conjunction with the Washington, DC-based Appraisal Foundation, the Department of Energy (DOE) will develop information and educational tools relating to valuing green buildings based on the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice, the generally accepted standards for U.S. building appraisers. These tools and resources will help appraisers appropriately include energy performance and sustainability in valuations.

While the agreement is for commercial buildings, over time the foundation also will consider the need for green home guidance, according to Paula Douglas Seidel, Appraisal Foundation executive administrator.

Eco-Structure

June 25, 2011

The White House-sponsored Better Buildings Initiative is looking to improve energy efficiency among commercial and multifamily building stock while likely adding more than 114,000 new jobs according to an analysis by The Real Estate Roundtable (RER).

The program, which was announced in January 2011, is a series of proposed legislation and actions by federal agencies targeting the improved efficiency of commercial building. By activating private sector spending in upgrades and retrofits, the initiative hopes to add construction-industry jobs.

“This plan will help bring lenders into the retrofit market to provide financing for commercial building efficiency projects,” says Ashok Gupta, director of energy policy at the NRDC. “Improving buildings’ energy performance reduces harmful pollution associated with energy production while reducing bills for consumers and making business more competitive.”

Eco-Structure

June 25, 2011

More than two in five of us (41%) erroneously believe that market terms "green" and "environmentally friendly" mean a product has a beneficial impact on the environment. Only about one in three (29%) understand that these terms more accurately describe products with reduced environmental impact compared with competing products. A British survey found than half (53%) say they are concerned that companies make one-time improvements to win publicity, before returning to business as usual, and that only 7% of respondents take companies at their word when they say that they are reducing their climate impacts.

Check out the article to see the nine types of greenwashing.

Building Green

June 25, 2011

A new credit in the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating system could boost the use of third-party verified products in green building projects.

The Certified Products credit, which was released in June and is in its pilot stage, gives points to projects in which at least 10 percent of non-structural products have third-party verified environmental claims, are certified to third-party verified performance standards, or have a verified lifecycle assessment report or Environmental Product Declaration.

The new credit would provide a way to recognize legitimate programs and products, Nelson said. The credit could be a boon to both manufacturers of certified and verified products and to certifiers themselves, if it encourages more product-makers to seek out third-party certification and verification services. It would also give architects a reference to find recognized products, Nelson said. Non-structural products that could count towards the credit include insulation, heating and cooling systems, carpet, gypsum board and office furniture.

Sustainable Industries

June 22, 2011

To help accelerate the transformation to a more energy efficient and sustainable built environment, it is critical to understand the priorities and challenges facing executive decision makers. The annual Energy Efficiency Indicator (EEI) survey asks executives responsible for energy use and real estate decisions about their management practices, investment plans, technology integration and financing approaches. The survey provides a unique perspective on the market through the lens of those on the front lines making public and commercial building decisions.

The survey reaches a balanced mix of CEOs, CFOs, real estate executives, facility managers and engineers, and sustainability managers in organizations from small sole proprietorships to global corporations with properties totaling tens of millions of square feet. The survey covers a broad array of industry sectors: government, education, real estate, healthcare, finance, manufacturing, retail, life sciences, engineering, construction, and more.

Here are the Global Results.

Institute for Building Efficiency

June 22, 2011

A new LEED credit for certified products is stirring up old debates over wood certification programs.

The pilot Certified Products credit was released earlier this month. It gives points to projects in which at least 10 percent of non-structural products are certified to third-party performance standards, have third-party verified environmental claims, or have a verified lifecycle assessment report or Environmental Product Declaration, Sustainable Industries reports.

Rather than focus on environmental attributes, the new credit is about transparency, Building Green reports. “This credit is about identifying certification types, nothing about our preferences about them,” Whit Faulconer, director of LEED.

Environmental Leader

June 21, 2011

The Supreme Court today reaffirmed that it is the Environmental Protection Agency's job to curb dangerous carbon pollution under the Clean Air Act, deciding in Connecticut v. American Electric Power that states cannot bring suit directly against five of the nation's largest power companies to curb their emissions as a public nuisance.

Power plants are the nation's biggest climate polluters. Each year they pump more than two billion tons of carbon dioxide into the air -- pollution that is driving dangerous heat waves and smog episodes, rising seas, and stronger storms, floods, and droughts, threatening our health and safety and our homes and communities.

Many power companies support EPA action, because they know that this problem can't be wished away and that they can thrive while cleaning up. But some of the biggest polluters, such as American Electric Power and Southern Company, have combined with the coal industry and Tea Party politicians to attack the Clean Air Act.

Green Biz

June 21, 2011

A growing number of less-toxic commercial cleaning products are now available in stores and online. However, because manufacturers are not required to list all of their ingredients, unless they are active disinfectants or known to be potentially hazardous, it can be a challenge to find the least-toxic formulations. The following steps can help:

Know the warning labels, don't assume that environmental and health claims are true, check the ingredient list, avoid harmful ingredients whenever possible, if you're concerned about specific ingredients in a product, call the company, and play it safe. For an more indepth look at these steps, check out the article.

Ask Green America

June 16, 2011

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched two databases that it says will improve decisions about chemical safety, including at the agency itself. The connection is important, the EPA says, because both exposure data and toxicity data are required when considering potential risks posed by chemicals, and the link will better inform the agency’s own decisions about chemical safety.

“Chemical safety is a major priority of EPA and its research,” said Dr. Paul Anastas, assistant administrator of EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “These databases provide the public access to chemical information, data and results that we can use to make better-informed and timelier decisions about chemicals to better protect people’s health.”

Here is the link to EPA’s Aggregated Computational Toxicology Resource (ACToR), an online data warehouse that collects data on over 500,000 chemicals from over 500 public sources.

Environmental Leader

June 16, 2011

The National Toxicology Program upgraded its classification of formaldehyde to "Known to be a human carcinogen." Formaldehyde was classified as "Reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen" thirty years ago, in 1981. The wheels of science grind slowly.

Many building products and furnishings are made with formaldehyde, and many such as carpets, furniture and foam insulation are made with brominated flame retardants. Some contain both. Research on flame retardants has a long way to go before we have volumes of studies to rival those that support the definitive statement on formaldehyde. But the thirty scientific papers[ 2] presented in Boston last week suggest we are fools to wait another 30 years to take action in the face of mounting evidence of hazard from this highly toxic class of chemicals.

Healthy Building Network

May 25, 2011

Two years ago, the AIA introduced the 2030 Commitment Program, a voluntary initiative in which AIA member firms pledge to make multiyear action plans and implement steps to advance the goal of producing carbon-neutral buildings by the year 2030. Within six months of joining the commitment, firms agree to implement a minimum of four operational action items to reduce the negative environmental impact of firm operations. In addition, firms were asked to submit assessments of their design work over the course of 2010, and the results are now detailed in a new report.

Check out the article at Eco-Structure for some notable findings.

May 25, 2011

When the new 13-story building for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) is completed in mid-2012, it will feature attractive exterior landscaping, just like any other large public building would. The key difference, however, is that the plantings will be part of an energy-efficient Living Machine system that will treat all the building’s graywater and blackwater for reuse on site, saving a projected 750,000 gallons of water per year, in addition to 500,000 gallons saved for irrigation.

Owned by Charlottesville, Va.–based Worrell Water Technologies, Living Machines mimic the processes of tidal wetlands to naturally treat wastewater in an easy-to-operate, self-contained system. The systems are small enough to be located entirely on site in most applications and do not produce the by-products associated with traditional wastewater treatment such as biosolids. “Our goal was to create a wastewater treatment system that was energy- and space-efficient,” says Eric Lohan, general manager of Living Machine Systems.

Eco-Structure

June 7, 2011

Businesses across the world are making tangible progress towards tackling environmental concerns related to their activities, but continue to lag on issues related to human rights and corruption, the United Nations initiative that seeks to foster socially responsible corporate practices said in a survey released today.

According to the survey, large and publicly traded companies are performing impressively on all of the Global Compact’s issue – human rights, labour, environment and the fight against corruption – than small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs). This is attributable to the fact that larger corporations have greater financial and human resources to support extensive sustainability programmes, according to the survey.

Companies across the board reported having anti-discrimination and equal opportunity policies in place – one of the few issues that transcended size or sector. Yet, less than 20 per cent of all respondents reported conducting human rights impact assessments and less than 30 per cent recorded instances of corruption, with dramatic differences between SMEs and larger companies, according to the survey.

UN News Centre

June 3, 2011

The Green Education Foundation (GEF), along with the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council, have launched the Sustainability Education Clearinghouse, a free online tool that provides K-12 teachers with the ability to upload and share sustainability focused lessons with one another. It is available online at SEClearinghouse.org.

“The Clearinghouse provides teachers the opportunity to seek sustainability focused lessons that have been tested and proven in the classroom,” says Victoria Waters, GEF President. “The goal is to offer educators a robust set of sustainable curricula, a growing area of interest and need for educators.”

Eco-Structure

June 1, 2011

A new apartment building in the Longwood section of the Bronx is the first in New York to be built with an eye to combating obesity with its design elements, city officials say.

The building, an eight-story, 63-unit co-op that is meant for families with incomes of $90,000 or less, was unveiled on Wednesday morning by Blue Sea Development Company, representatives of Habitat for Humanity and city officials.

But the Melody’s most notable features are its two flights of stairs, which have lime-green railings, small silhouettes of dancing women and jazz playing through speakers. The building is designed with idea that people should choose to take the stairs instead of the buildings sole elevator.

The New York Times

June 2, 2011

The ceremony, which took place at Piedmont Hills High School, marked the completion of a 7.1-megawatt project at 13 sites at the East Side Union High School District in San Jose, Calif., that is expected to generate $43 million in savings.

The new solar energy system and the additional efficiency upgrades are expected to generate savings in the first year equal to the funding required for about 30 teacher jobs, and to improve the learning environment, said Lan Nguyen, president of the East Side Union High School District Board.

Green Building News

June 3, 2011

The voluntary carbon market shrugged off policy failures and the closure of the Chicago Climate Exchange in 2010 to post a 34% surge in volume to a record 131 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e) worth at least $424 million, according to “Back to the Future: State and Trends of the Voluntary Carbon Markets 2010,” published today by Ecosystem Marketplace and Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

But in a report published yesterday, The World Bank has found that the 2010 global carbon market ended five years of growth with a decline compared to 2009. Several possible reasons are given in the article, including a lack of clarity in the market after 2012 and the global recession.

Environmental Leader

June 1, 2011

The air pollution generated at electronics waste dismantling sites may have a dangerous impact on the health of nearby residents.

Researchers have found what could be a possible health risk to those living close to a giant e-waste dismantling industrial park in China. Tests of local air pollution and its impact on human lung cells revealed inflammatory responses and oxidative stress, which could lead to DNA damage, cardiovascular disease or cancer.

The study is published in Environmental Research Letters.

Greener Computing

June 1, 2011

The bank reached the agreement with the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, a coalition founded in 2005 with the aim of reducing carbon emissions. Its chairman is New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.

According to the World Bank, C40 cities account for 8 percent of the global population, 12 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, and 21 percent of the world’s global gross domestic product.

The Washington Post

May 25, 2011

This guide is a helpful tool for anyone who has ever wondered whether proposed or existing developments in their communities are actually good for the neighborhood and the environment -- and what should be done about them.

According to its producers, the new guide is designed to enable users to improve communities and neighborhoods by applying LEED-ND as "a flexible tool and source of information."

To download the free guide, visit the NRDC.

April 2011

The parties agreed on broad terms to fund the government for the next six months, and Democrats said that the agreement did not include Republicans’ sought-after provision to limit EPA regulations on greenhouse gases (GHGs), the New York Times reported. A 2007 Supreme Court ruling, Massachusetts v. Environmental Protection Agency, obliged the EPA to determine whether carbon dioxide emissions endanger human health and welfare. In 2009, the EPA declared that GHGs do indeed pose that threat. The agency has since ordered states to begin issuing GHG permits to big emitters such as oil refineries, coal-burning power plants, cement factories and glass makers. Those rules took effect January 2, although the EPA decided to defer application of the GHG rules to biomass facilities for three years, and states have struggled with the federal government over the permitting process..

Environmental Leader

April 2011

The goal was to assess each company’s actual environmental footprint and management of that footprint (including policies and strategies), along with its reputation among environmental experts. Companies on each list—the U.S. 500 and the Global 100—are ranked by their overall Green Score. This score is derived from three component scores: the Environmental Impact Score (EIS), the Green Policies Score (GPS), and the Reputation Survey Score (RSS), weighted at 45 percent, 45 percent, and 10 percent, respectively. The Green Score, as well as each component score, is published on a scale from 100 (highest performing) to one (lowest performing).

Newsweek

March 2011

Shippers may be required to limit their carbon emissions, possibly through participation in carbon markets, under proposals being considered by the European Union. The EU is crafting tools to limit emissions from maritime transport because the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has been unable to agree on such measures for over a decade.

Bloomberg

March 2011

The 2030 Challenge for Products specifically asks the global architecture, planning, design and building community to specify, design and manufacture products for new developments, buildings and renovations to meet a maximum carbon-equivalent footprint of 30 percent below the product category average through 2014. The embodied carbon-equivalent footprint reduction will be increased to 35 percent in 2015, 40 percent in 2020, 45 percent in 2025, and 50 percent by 2030. A two-year period, from 2011 to 2013, has been established for the development of industry standards and product averages, and for product manufacturers to move to meet the 30 percent reduction based on a Life Cycle Assessment.

Interiors & Sources

March 2011

The G3.1 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines feature expanded guidance on issues including local community impacts, human rights and gender, as well as environmental, product responsibility, labor, governance and other existing GRI categories. "Together, the Protocol and the new guidance in G3.1 will enable all organizations to be transparent about a wide range of important, but often neglected, issues," said GRI deputy chief executive Nelmara Arbex.

Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)

July 16, 2010

Jeffrey Hollender, co-founder of Seventh Generation, presents his philosophy of radical transparency. After Hollender posted a list critiquing Seventh Generation’s products on the company’s website, he says, customers responded favorably and asked for the same from Seventh Generation’s competitors.

Check out the video!

Environmental Leader News

June 9, 2010

A global study on consumer perceptions of green brands and corporate environmental behavior reveals global differences about their top environmental concerns. A key finding shows that while climate change is important across most countries, 30 percent of Brazilians and 26 percent of Indians cite deforestation as the top issue, and in Australia, 68 percent of consumers say it’s important that companies manage water efficiently.

In the United States, energy use is the biggest green issue or problem, although economic concerns are taking precedence over environmental ones with 79 percent of those polled citing greater distress about the economy. Thirty-five percent of respondents say they will spend more on green in the coming year, which is down slightly from last year.

The top ten perceived greenest brands: Burt’s Bees, Whole Foods, Tom’s of Maine, Trader Joe’s, Google, Aveeno, SC Johnson, Publix, Microsoft, and Ikea.

Environmental Leader News

May 7, 2010

The House passed the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act of 2010 (H.R. 5019) by a bipartisan vote of 246-161. Home Star will provide homeowners with rebates for energy-efficiency upgrades -- a total of $6 billion over two years.

Unlike some other energy-related policies, which can have unpredictable effects, the net social benefit of Home Star is all but guaranteed. Home energy retrofits are one of the rare investments that provide returns both substantial and completely reliable.

The coalition is optimistic about the bill's fate. They expect a Senate vote, conference committee, appropriations, and a presidential signature by Memorial Day.

grist.org

May 20, 2010

Eighty-four percent of Americans say they can help companies create products and services that benefit consumers, business and society but only 53 percent feel that companies are engaging with them on corporate social/environmental practices and products, according to the 2010 Cone Shared Responsibility Study. (Fact Sheet)

The survey also finds that the majority of consumers want to be involved at all levels: how a company conducts its business (85 percent), products and packaging (83 percent), social and environmental issues (81 percent) and marketing and advertising (74 percent).

A key finding reveals that if a company incorporated their ideas, consumers would be more likely to buy its products and services (60 percent), be more loyal (54 percent) and more likely to recommend the company (51 percent).

Environmental Leader News

May 21, 2010

This article discusses PricewaterhouseCooper's Appetite for Change global survey. The top concern of U.S. businesses for climate change and environmental issues is reducing carbon emissions, followed by new regulation, energy efficiency, and legislation/new laws.

“The Obama Administration recently announced that the federal government would reduce its own carbon footprint by 28 percent by 2020. If the government were to push down that requirement through its supply chain to all government contractors and suppliers, the impact on U.S. business would be quite significant,” says Kathy Nieland, leader of the Sustainability and Climate Change practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

Eighty-seven percent of U.S. survey respondents say change is likely over the next few years as a result of the climate change and environmental debate. Twenty-eight percent believe these changes could be significant.

Environmental Leader News

May 15, 2010

Many builders contest that increasing the engergy efficiency of a household will price many buyers out of purchasing new homes. In the past, this may have been the case, but no longer. In many areas, a 12-15% increase in efficiency can be met by using materials that are already available. This is especially important for low income families where a large chunk of their monthly budget goes to paying utilities.

Washington Post

May 14, 2010

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized its rulings to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the largest stationary sources at facilities such as power plants and oil refineries that are responsible for 70 percent of GHG emissions.

The article discusses who are required to have permits for their GHG emissions, as well as several lawsuits that threaten the EPA's authority on climate.

Environmental Leader News

December 10, 2010

This report from Next 10 tracks the growth of green jobs in the Golden State over the last 14 years, and finds big growth and regional hotspots for different types of environmentally oriented careers. Some highlights are:

-Between 1995-2008, green businesses increased 45 percent, green jobs grew 36 percent while total jobs in the state grew only 13 percent.

-Between 2007-2008, green jobs grew 5 percent while total jobs dropped one percent.

-From 1995-2008, Energy Generation employment expanded 61 percent by nearly 10,000 jobs. Solar makes up the largest portion, and strongest growth (63 percent).

GreenBiz.com

April 28, 2010

Thousands of complaints have erupted, and many people in Florida and Luouisiana have moved out of their homes. They say that newly installed wallboard is corroding their air conditioning coils, metal pipes and fixtures, and wiring. They blame an egg-like sulfurous odor emanating from the boards for an array of health symptoms, from respiratory distress to heart disease. This drywall is from mostly from a manufacturer in China, though recent federal lawsuits include inquiries into US companies.

Healthy Building Network

April, 2010

Collecting and interpreting environmental indicators play a critical role in our understanding of climate change and its causes. An indicator represents the state of certain environmental conditions over a given area and a specified period of time. Examples of climate change indicators include temperature, precipitation, sea level, and greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere.

These indicators will be used to better understand climate change. It mainly focuses on the United States. Download PDF

Enironmental Protection Agency

April 23, 2010

Every year the AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) invites electronic submission of built projects, and this year is no exception to their high standards in environmental design. Click on the link to view the projects.

AIArchitect

March 19, 2010

This 220,000 square-foot office space is designed with performance as the ultimate priority. The building is a rather unusual “H” shape, with the lobby area connecting two wings. The project’s engineers determined that shape would maximize daylight and thus reduce energy needs. The building is meant to be a national showcase and a teaching tool, in addition to serving its primary function as office space for National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL).

Solve Climate

March 15, 2010

After a year-long development process, the International Code Council (ICC) released its International Green Construction Code (IGCC) on March 15, 2010. Developed in partnership with The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and ASTM International, the IGCC had been anticipated to provide competition to Standard 189—the code-ready green building standard modeled on LEED that was launched in January.

BuildingGreen.com

Link to International Code Council

March 2, 2010

This year the list was voted on by the readers who subscribe to the Smart2BeGreen newsletter and green philosophy. Readers chose leaders in environmental awareness that have inspired us by demonstrating that small steps can yield great results towards a greener future.

Smart2BeGreen

March 2, 2010

Colorado is one step closer to increasing requirements for electricity generation from renewable sources, like wind and solar energy.House Bill 1001 would require large utilities in Colorado to generate at least 30 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020. T

Environment Colorado estimates the legislation would deploy 700 megawatts of solar generation by 2020. The organization's new report, “Investing in the Sun,” concludes that 1,000 megawatts of distributed solar energy would create more than 33,000 jobs, generate enough electricity to power 146,000 homes, save 6.8 billion gallons of water and obviate 30 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions over the life of the systems.

Vail Daily

March 4, 2010

3M reveals its strategies for managing energy usage in the U.S. Department of Energy’s “Energy Matters” newsletter. The centerpiece of 3M’s plan includes establishing a new set of corporate environmental goals every five years and tracking individual plants on a quarterly basis and again annually to evaluate their progress toward meeting energy-reduction goals.

Environmental Leader News

March 2, 2010

So far, just 14 percent of the market potential for energy management systems is being realized, meaning there is room for growth, according to the report on “Energy Management Systems for Commercial Buildings” from Pike Research.

Pike Research predicts that the market could grow nearly $8 billion between 2010 and 2020.

Environmental Leader News

March 1, 2010

Initiated in 1999 by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Department of Energy (DOE), the ENERGY STAR program for buildings was developed to help businesses improve energy management through recognition of energy efficiency and cost-effective measures. Much like LEED, the intent is to spur all parties involved in the design, construction and maintenance of buildings to work together to find energy solutions that are both financially beneficial yet minimize negative impact on the environment.

Reed Construction Data

2010

This Pike Research report analyzes the emerging market for commercial building Energy Management Systems in depth, including a focus on energy efficiency, advanced building management systems, and the commercial demand response sector. Based on extensive supply-side and demand-side analysis, the report provides a comprehensive examination of business models and market drivers, technology issues, and the competitive landscape within this dynamic space. The report includes detailed market forecasts through 2020 along with profiles of key industry players.

PikeResearch

March 3, 2010

U.S. regulation of greenhouse-gas emissions won’t target stationary sources emitting 50,000 to 75,000 tons a year until at least 2013. The EPA paved the way for new regulations by declaring carbon dioxide a health hazard in December. Republican lawmakers and some Democrats have said they will move legislatively to block or delay EPA action.

BusinessWeek

February 12, 2010

Seven federal agencies have issued a combined funding opportunity announcement of up to $129.7 million over five years to create an Energy Regional Innovation Cluster (E-RIC) centered around an Energy Innovation Hub focused on developing new technologies to improve the design of energy-efficient building systems. The regional research center will develop new building efficiency technologies and work with local partners to implement the technologies in area buildings.

Environmental Leader News

February 1, 2010

Fifty-five nations accounting for almost 80 per cent of world greenhouse gas emissions have set national goals for fighting climate change by a deadline in the "Copenhagen Accord."

The Copenhagen Accord seeks to limit a rise in temperatures to below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and sets a goal of $100 billion a year in aid for developing nations from 2020 to help confront climate change.

The Gazette

March 1, 2010

Safeway Inc. has become the first U.S.-based retail grocery chain and manufacturer of private label merchandise to join The Sustainability Consortium in support of the organization’s science-based work toward a more sustainable global supply chain. The company joins other retailers and consumer product manufacturers that have become members of the Consortium and its product “life cycle” mission including social and environmental considerations.

Business Wire

March 4, 2010

Google has released a new PowerMeter API to encourage integration of its technology by home developers. The code is intended for manufacturers of electrical devices, from refrigerators and washing machines to other appliances, that have built-in energy monitoring technology. It also works with other smart meter devices.

Environmental Leader News

Google PowerMeter API

March 4, 2010

Record Filings Follow SEC Calls for Stronger Corporate Attention to Climate Change. The 40 percent increase in climate-change resolutions filed over last year is a first sign of the growing pressure on companies to disclose climate risks and opportunities in the wake of the recent Securities and Exchange Commission’s climate disclosure guidance and other recent policy developments.

Investor Network on Climate Risk

Feb 22, 2010

The General Services Administration is reorganizing how it provides green services to the rest of government. "As part of Governmentwide Policy, the Office of Federal High-Performance Green Buildings will broaden its reach to provide federal agencies with the necessary measurement tools and policies they need to meet their own sustainability mandates under the Executive Order," reported GSA administrator Martha Johnson. She went on to say "PBS's Chief Greening Officer will aggressively pursue sustainable practices within GSA's large portfolio of government-owned and leased buildings to ensure that we are enabled to better meet our mandates."

President Obama issued an executive order in October requiring agencies to reduce the amount of energy they use.

Federal News Radio

February 15, 2010

This article written by Amelia Timbers examins why sustainability metrics differ and whose metircs to trust. She discusses methodology, disclosure, and motive as being keys to understanding sustainability metrics.

tripplepundit

February 28, 2010

As a result of China's growth being negatively impacted by pollution, awareness of climate change and energy security has spread in China. Wal-Mart is asking their suppliers to consider environmental and energy saving details ; not just low prices, but low greenhouse gas emissions. Many of Wal-Mart's suppliers have heard that you need to be an environmentally friendly company to work with Wal-Mart in the future, so suppliers are changing their production process.

Washington Post

January 22, 2010

NREL researchers are trying to do the high-tech equivalent of putting sunglasses on buildings with a new generation of insulated "dynamic windows" that change color to modulate interior temperatures and lighting.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

February 25, 2010

The awards distinguish the initiatives that shape and catalyze the high performance building market, as well as the real-world application of high performance design and contruction practices.

Congressman Russ Carnahan (D-MO) and Congresswomen Judy Biggert (D-IL), co-chairs of the High Performance Buildings Congressional Caucus, were on hand for the event and praised the winners for their work.

Catagory A - High-Performance Buildings

First Place:

Empire State Building, Integrated Energy Efficiency Retrofit, New York, NY

Citations:

Emerson's Energy-Efficient Global Data Center, St. Louis, MO

Charlotte Vermont House, Charlotte, VT

Kroon Hall, School of Forestry & Environmental Studies Yale University, New Haven, CT

Catagory B - High-Performance Initiatives

Citation:

Water Independence in Oregon's Buildings, Portland, OR

Link to SBIC's 2009 Beyond Green Awrads PDF

Link to SBIC Beyond Green Awards Case Studies

February 18, 2010

A legal battle is brewing for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s endangerment finding for greenhouse gasses after several industry groups, conservative think tanks, lawmakers and three states filed 16 court challenges before yesterday’s (Feb. 16) deadline, reports the New York Times.

The lawsuits filed in the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals request a review of EPA’s determination that greenhouse gases endanger human health and welfare. The finding allows the EPA to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act.

In response, the EPA and environmentalists say the agency is required by law to begin regulating greenhouse gas emissions, and is finalizing new greenhouse gas rules for automobiles and large stationary sources next month, reports the New York Times.

Environmental Leader News

February 2, 2010

In 2009, EPA’s Energy Star Leaders prevented the equivalent of more than 220,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide and saved more than $48 million across their commercial building portfolios. These savings have quadrupled since 2008 and represent the single greatest year of savings since EPA recognized the first Energy Star Leaders in 2004. Over the past five years, Energy Star Leaders are saving money and helping our environment by preventing greenhouse gas emissions equal to the emissions from the electricity use of nearly 39,000 homes annually.

United States Environmental Protection Agency

February 17, 2010

Kicking off a race to jumpstart American jobs in a clean economy, Nike, Starbucks, and other businesses, unions and youth groups in Oregon are urging Congress to approve a comprehensive climate change legislation this year, reports The Oregonian.

The group was joined by U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., at a news conference, where they announced a “Race for American Jobs” campaign to help persuade the Senate to pass climate change legislation similar to the one passed in the House in June last year, reports The Oregonian.

The group is pushing for a low-carbon economy that will create jobs, reduce the U.S. dependence on foreign oil suppliers and promote technological innovation in an economic arms race with China, reports The Oregonian.

Environmental Leader News

February 4, 2010

Carbon emissions management is becoming an increasingly important business objective for U.S. companies; however, outstanding questions about accounting, reporting and tax considerations have led to inconsistent practices, according to a report by Ernst & Young LLP.

The new report, “Carbon market readiness: accounting, compliance, reporting and tax considerations under state and national carbon emissions programs”, concludes that companies should consider carbon emissions requirements as part of their businesses and financial management strategies now despite the uncertainty over the scope of climate change legislation in the U.S. The study also finds that many countries as well as states have some type of regulatory program to manage carbon emissions.

Out of 1,000 U.S. registrants, only 29 companies disclosed an accounting policy related to emissions credits or allowances in their financial statements.

Environmental Leader News

January 15, 2010

California continues to take the national lead in environmental protection. The California Building Standards Commission voted unanimously this week to approve the first statewide green building code.

Taking effect January 2011, the nation's first mandatory green building code – dubbed “CalGreen” – lays out specific constraints for newly constructed buildings. It requires builders to install plumbing that cuts indoor water use by as much as 20 percent, to divert 50 percent of construction waste from landfills to recycling, and to use low-pollutant paints, carpets, and floors. It also mandates inspection of energy systems to ensure that heaters, air conditioners, and other mechanical equipment are working efficiently. And for non-residential buildings, it requires the installation of water meters for different uses.

The Christian Science Monitor

February 16, 2010

The Georgia Institute of Technology is once again taking a leadership position in the area of sustainable design and energy management. Georgia Tech is currently updating its Facilities Design Standards to meet LEED Gold standards as set by the U.S. Green Building Council. Energy Ace, Inc., an Atlanta-based sustainability consulting firm helping architects, engineers, construction managers, building owners and developers design, create and operate energy efficient, sustainable environments assisted Tech in preparing the Standards upgrade.

Building Design and Construction

February 17, 2010

Businesses today generally understand they need to do as much as possible to conserve energy and water, reduce waste and greenhouse gas emissions, and minimize their environmental impact overall.

But as they look outward for solutions, they may be missing the best source of intelligence and insight in addressing green and sustainability issues – their own employees. These are, after all, the people who help them run their businesses every day – they know the processes, products, properties and operations inside and out. And many would be thrilled with the opportunity to improve their company’s efficiency and environmental impact.

This article discusses two projects that demonstrate what can happen when you engage employees in green and sustainability efforts.

Environmental Leader News

February 9, 2010

Seattle’s mayor today announced a new ordinance which requires large commercial and multi-family property owners in Seattle to annually measure, or benchmark, energy use and provide the City with ratings to allow comparison across different buildings. Building owners will also be required to share energy usage and ratings with prospective buyers, tenants and lenders during the sale, lease or financing of properties.

The Building Advisor

December 14, 2009

Mayor Newsom of San Francisco announced new legislation aimed at improving the energy efficiency of existing buildings in San Francisco. The goal is to cut energy use by 50% in existing buildings by 2030. The Task Force created by the mayor boiled down its research into 7 key ways to achieve this goal. A few of them are: Idintify cost-effective savings in every commercial building, disclose energy performance information, and educate, train, mentor and market existing building efficiency.

For more information, check out the article.

Galley Eco Capital: Our Green Journey

October 5, 2009

President Obama signed an Executive Order that sets sustainability goals for Federal agencies and focuses on making improvements in their environmental, energy and economic performance. The Executive Order requires Federal agencies to set a 2020 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target within 90 days; increase energy efficiency; reduce fleet petroleum consumption; conserve water; reduce waste; support sustainable communities; and leverage Federal purchasing power to promote environmentally-responsible products and technologies.

The White House

Climate Change Disclosure for Investors

October 29, 2009

U.S.-traded companies may have to disclose their exposure to financial risks relating to climate change and emerging policies under a new U.S. Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) staff guidance, reports Nasdaq (via Dow Jones Newswires).

The Staff Legal Guidance said it’s changing how it analyzes companies’ “no-action” requests on shareholder proposals relating to environmental, financial or health risks, according to Nasdaq.

The decision, outlined in SEC Staff Legal Bulletin No. 14E (CF), reverses an SEC rule that prevented investors from directly asking companies about the impacts of climate change and other issues on their financial bottom lines, according to Ceres, a network of investors and environmental organizations that represent around $8 trillion in assets.

Environmental Leader News

Wal-Mart Responds to Consumer Sustainable Demands

October, 2009

Wal-Mart has granted $420,000 to World Resources Institute (WRI) to develop a Green Standards Guide to rate various eco-labels and decide on which ones they will recognize in the consumer market. This follows the July announcement that they are launching a new sustainability index that will grade various suppliers and products by asking fifteen general sustainability questions. This signals an intent to lead manufacturers to provide labels that will allow consumers to understand more clearly the sustainability of a product and inform future Wal-Mart purchasing decisions.

Environmental Leader News

Green Pathways Institute, Linking Curriculum to Green Careers

September, 2009

According to the UNEP, by the year 2020 the world's green economy will be worth roughly $3 trillion. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes $50 billion for green jobs. Will our students have the knowledge and skills required to meet this need?

With the U.S. facing economic and environmental challenges, teachers are increasingly eager to find ways to give their students the keys to meaningful careers and lives of environmental stewardship. At the first-ever Pathways to the Future Teacher Institute, held at Cosumnes River College in Sacramento, educators and curriculum specialists joined professionals from green businesses to explore how school curricula can inspire students to embrace a sustainable future and green jobs.

Green Technology Magazine

Portola Valley Town Center, Goring & Straja Architects
Siegel & Strain Architects

April 16, 2009 - Washington, DC

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and its Committee on the Environment (COTE) have selected the top ten examples of sustainable architecture and green design solutions that protect and enhance the environment. The 2009 AIA COTE Top Ten Green Projects were announced celebrating beautiful, efficient building designs. The program recognizes projects that make a positive contribution to their communities, improve comfort for building occupants and reduce environmental impacts through strategies such as reuse of existing structures, connection to transit systems, low-impact and regenerative site development, energy and water conservation, use of sustainable or renewable construction materials, and design that improves indoor air quality.

These winning entries will be displayed at the upcoming AIA national convention in San Francisco, April 30-May 2 at the Moscone Convention Center.

AIA COTE TOP TEN 2009

2009 TOP TEN Green Product Earth Day Awards

April, 2009 - Green Building Pages Earth Day Awards

Raising the bar, rewarding transparency and product manufacturers' achievements in reducing the global environmental impacts of their products, and creating a more sustainable world, every Earth Day the Green Building Pages announces it's top ten products.

This year's lineup ranges from one-man-shops to international manufacturing. These product manufacturers have achieved exemplary performance against comprehensive Green Building Pages Benchmarking Sustainability evaluation criteria, in alignment with the ASTM-E2129 and the Sustainable Materials Rating Technology (SMaRT) building product consensus standard recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council.

For more information:

2009 Green Building Pages Top Ten Earth Day Awards

SBIC 2008 Beyond Green Awards - Nationals Park

February 26 , 2009 - Washington, DC

The winners of the 2008 Beyond GreenTM High-Performance Building Awards presented their projects on Capitol Hill on February 26, 2009, as part of an educational briefing for lawmakers and the public. Through a series of presentations and a poster session, the winners addressed the challenges and opportunities for delivering better buildings. The briefing was held in conjunction with the High-Performance Buildings Congressional Caucus (HPBCC).

SBIC delivered the message to the more than 100 attendees from the House of Representatives, architectural firms, and many other organizations, that buildings that are energy efficient, safe, cost-effective, aesthetically pleasing, and very productive places to work and live, are possible now.

For more information:

Sustainable Buildings Industry Council

Green California Summit, Sacramento

March 17, 2009 - Los Angeles, CA

Green Technology magazine has awarded the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) its 2009 Green California Leadership Award for Green Building. The project cited by the magazine is the new Allied Health and Science Center at Los Angeles Valley College.

The award, given to LACCD officials at a ceremony in Sacramento, marks another significant honor the District has received for its $5.7 billion green building program, one of the nation's largest sustainable construction efforts.

The $49 million Allied Health and Science Center is a 100,000 square foot, three-story facility with an advanced laboratory, classrooms, and a rooftop solar farm with 300 power-generating panels. It also has a greenhouse, an animal habitat facility, a botanical research area, and four retention ponds included in the landscaping.

The project has achieved the U.S. Green Building Council's Gold LEED rating.

Green Building Pages Blog

Green California Summit

Architecture 2030

February 26, 2009

Edward Mazria was called before the United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources to give expert testimony on reducing energy consumption in buildings.

"The situation we find ourselves in today, with three major crises converging at the same time - foreign energy dependence, climate change, and a deep economic recession - is very different from anything we have ever experienced before." -Mazria

He states that to truely promote energy efficiency, business and industry need to look to innovate and deliver alternatives to the marketplace, while governments deliver market incentives, new building codes, and fund R&D and technology transfer through universities, research institutions and national laboratories.

He goes to discuss the success of the 2030 challenge and other green strategies.

Download Mazria's full Testimony - complete with charts and graphs

Architecture 2030

Architecture 2030

The Two-Year, Nine-Million-Jobs Investment Plan

President-elect Obama has committed to economic recovery, energy independence, carbon-neutral buildings by 2030 and an 80% reduction in US greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

This powerful and comprehensive Plan benefits all Americans, no matter what income level or location in the country. The new demand for energy efficiency upgrades and infusion of capital will create over 9 million new jobs, including a new $1.77 trillion renovation market that will put the construction industry back to work immediately.

In addition, the $132 to 208 billion in consumer mortage and energy savings will provide much-needed disposable income to fuel economic growth. Also, the reductions in energy consumption, CO2 emissions, natural gas, and oil will put the country on the path to energy independence and signal our commitment to addressing climate change.

Architecture 2030

U.S. Department of Energy

What do you get when you combine the nation's top scientists with 11 commercial property firms and more than $1 billion in federal funds?

The Zero-Net Energy Commercial Building Initiative (CBI), a Department of Energy (DOE) program that was launched this year to accelerate the development of cost-effective, zero-net engery buildings -- those that produce as much energy as they consume.

The program will examine new approaches to renewable energy, which can be difficult and costly for building owners to employ but is essential to net-zero energy buildings.

Commercial Buildings Initiative

Sustianable Buildings Industry Council

High-performance buildings are healthy and productive places to live and work, cost-effective to operate and maintain, and good for the environment.

At this educational briefing, the winners of SBIC's Beyond Green High-Performance Building Awards presented selected projects that describe challenges and opportunities.

The case studies, which represent a wide variety of building types from across the country, address the successful integration of sustainability and energy-efficiency with cost effectiveness, safety and security, accessibility, historic preservation, and aesthetics.

SBIC Beyond Green Awards

U.S. Conference of Mayors

The U.S. conference of Mayors adopted Resolution of Support for the Sustainable Investment Initiative of the Capital markets Partnership (CMP) at the June 2008, 76th annual meeting. CMP unanimously approved its Green Building Underwriting Standards.

The Sustainable Investment Initiative is facilitating both equity and debt investment opportunities in certified green buildings and sustainable products through these Underwriting Standards and green building financing with the Council of Development Financing Agencies.

The Initiative's concensus standards cover buildings and products across the global supply chain.

U.S. Conference of Mayors

Project FROG unveiled at Greenbuild, Boston, Nov., 2008

FROG Zero -- The Classroom of the Future -- incorporates the ideal learning environment into the greenest, most sustainable commercial building solution available. Ever. The 1,280-sf smart building features 75 percent energy demand reduction, abundant natural light and glare control, superior air quality, fungible user technology, microclimate customization and advanced climate controls in an easy to configure package. Constructed of renewable or recyclable materials, the FROG Zero generates more energy within its footprint than is required to operate its systems.

More Information: www.projectfrog.com/gozero/frogzero

Green Technology Magazine

A growing body of research shows that a poor school environment is detrimental to a children's health and learning. Chilrdren in the U.S. now spend approximately 90% of their time indoors - and a large portion of that at school.

American schools get very poor grades in environmental toxicity, indoor air quality, sustainable resource use, and nutrition. All of these are linked to soaring asthma and childhood obesity rates, exposure to carcinogens, and broader community environmental problems.

The Green Schools Initiative uses a comprehensive framework to define a "green" school, which focuses on four interrelated "pillars." Their four pillars encourage schools to: strive to be toxic free; use resources sustainability; create green school yards and healthy lunches; and teach stewardship.

Green Technology Magazine

Green Technology Magazine

Who would have thought that simple measures, such as turning off lights and equipment at night and on weekends, could save so much money?

In nine months, the District, which serves 21,000 students in 18 schools, shaved $145,000 off its electric bill. Normally, electricity costs the District just under $3 million per year, so this represents a savings of about 6.5 percent. According to Jeff Boone, energy resource manager at the Murrieta Valley Unified School District, they are only getting started with ferreting out the unnecessary watts.

A green team of teachers, custodial staff, administrators and students cary out the program. They create a plan for saving energy at the school level, teach about energy and create school-wide energy awareness campaigns. This awareness is expected to also impact students' homes and communities. Typically, schools participating in the Green Schools program save between 5 and 15 percent on electric costs.

Powerful Savings from Green Technology Magazine

Western Governors Association

November 20, 2008

The Western Governors Association (WGA) wrote a letter to President-elect Barack Obama urging him to quickly adopt and implement an energy plan that will provide affordable, clean energy and reduce greenhoue gas emissions, among other goals.

The letter states that "We must have the collective will and resolve to create and implement a long-term comprehensive energy policy despite short-term political and market fluctuations. The future of our nation depends upon it."

The WGA urged President-elect Obama to implement seven key policy initiatives within the first 100 days of his administration.

WGA call for Immediate Enery Plan

Build Green Schools

September 4, 2008 - Washington, DC

Today, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) kicked off its "Fifty for Fifty" initiative working with state lawmakers in all 50 states to promote green school buildings. The Council's goal is for every state legislature in the nation to have its own caucus or working group of lawmakers advancing green schools for kids. Inspired by the sucessess of the Congressional Green Schools Caucus, the initiative will build on widespread participation in USGBC's LEED for schools program, which has over 1,000 green schools registered across the U.S.

The "Fifty for Fifty Initiative provides state legislatures with:

• Up-to-date information and developments in green building, including trends, cost benifit studies and incentives offered by localities to advance and promote green building
• Networking opportunities with like-minded legislators across the country
• Opportunities for partnerships with experts in their communities, from architects to engineers to contractors
• Opportunities to present best practices and successes in regional and national forums

USGBC Launches Nationwide Green Schools Effort

Photo provided by LACCD

November 7, 2008

With the passing of Measure J (for jobs) in the past election, LA Community College District (LACCD) added $3.5 billion to the bonds the school already had from previous years to bring the total budget up to $6.5 billion. The money will go towards 50 new buildings and modernizing hundreds of others up to LEED Platnum standards.

LACCD is the largest community college district in the nation, serving 226,000 students annually. The creation of these buildings brings purpose and mission together. Students learning about sustainable practices for their green job classes can touch and experience the very products that they may be working with later after they graduate.

Green Building Pages has joined this exciting effort. It will provide the evaluation system for the buyers and specifiers of the building materials used in these buildings. It is a unique site that is free to the public, comprehensive in its sustainable information, and rewards performance vs. advertising dollars.

More in greenbuildingproductsblog & LACCD BlipTV

Picture provided by GlobeSt.com

October 16, 2008 - Washington, DC

Mayor Manny Diaz of Miami and Mayor Greg Nickels of Seattle today announced the formation of the Mayor's Alliance for Green Schools, a coalition of mayors seeking to strategically harness the leadership and creativity of mayors accross the country to promote the benifits of green schools in their communities.

Developed in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the alliance will work to accelerate implementation of programs supporting the 2007 U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) resolution calling for green schools for all children within a generation.

For more information, visit USGBC