USGBC Joins Green Building Councils to Call Attention to Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions

In coordination with Green Building Councils all over the world, the U.S. Green Building Council is helping kick off the inaugural World Green Building Day on September 23 by leading a group of green building practitioners – including architects, engineers, builders, planners, contractors and building owners – to advocate for climate change legislation on Capitol Hill.
With U.S. lawmakers considering action this fall on historic energy and climate legislation, including several ground-breaking green building provisions, USGBC has organized a “Congressional Advocacy Day” for nearly 80 advocates from all corners of the United States to visit and meet with more than 130 Members of Congress and their staff.
USGBC advocates will call on Congress to take action on climate legislation before December when representatives from over 150 countries will assemble in Copenhagen for vital international negotiations to create a new global climate agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“As the built environment accounts for 40 percent of global carbon emissions, the green building movement has an unprecedented opportunity to make a major contribution to both national and international carbon reduction targets,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO and Founding Chairman of the U.S. Green Building Council.
As part of its Road to Copenhagen and participation in the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change in December, USGBC is actively involved with government delegations and non-government organizations to better understand how we can work together to show that green building represents one of the most direct, immediate and cost-effective opportunities to help tackle climate change.
World Green Building Day, an initiative of the World Green Building Council, is intended to draw global attention to the urgent need to develop policies and strategies to help deliver the environmental, economic and health benefits of green building. In addition to Congressional Advocacy Day, USGBC will also be joining other GBCs in signing two important documents: the Buildings and Climate Change Industry Call to Action and the Framework for a Common Carbon Metric.