New Alliance Urges Cities To Implement Green Building Policies
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and Sierra Club's Cool Cities campaign (Cool Cities) have formed a strategic partnership to promote the development, advancement and implementation of meaningful green building policies in 2009.
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and Sierra Club's Cool Cities campaign (Cool Cities) have formed a strategic partnership to promote the development, advancement and implementation of meaningful green building policies in 2009.
The partnership aims to leverage
Cool Cities‚ more than 400 local campaigns and
USGBC's national network of 78 chapters to empower city residents, business owners, municipal employees and elected leadership to encourage their cities to demonstrate their commitment to sustainable and energy efficient buildings.
"In today's economy, giving municipalities the tools to become more energy efficient and sustainable is a win-win," says Carl Pope, Sierra Club's Executive Director. "Not only does the community get the environmental benefits, but implementing these solutions can create jobs and save money."
In addition, the two organizations will collaborate on the development of grassroots resources including joint policy recommendations and best practice models to demonstrate the diversity and scope of policies and incentives that are currently in place across the nation.
As of December 2008, 112 cities from Albuquerque, New Mexico and Alexandria, Virginia to Boston, Massachusetts and Bowie, Maryland, are utilizing various LEED initiatives, according to USGBC. There are currently 2,319 LEED projects registered to local governments.
"Across the country, mayors of cities big and small are demonstrating their commitment to transforming our buildings and communities," says Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chairman of USGBC. "The fact that over 900 mayors, representing over 81 million Americans, have endorsed the US Conference of Mayor's Climate Protection Agreement speaks to the importance of their leadership on climate change."
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