Green Buildings for Cool Cities

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the Sierra Club's Cool Cities program today announced the launch of the "Green Buildings for Cool Cities" collaboration.

The partnership will leverage Cool Cities' more than 200 local campaigns and USGBC's national network of 80 chapters to encourage and promote the adoption of policies by local governments that will support new and retrofitted energy- efficient buildings - a key part of the solution to global warming and transitioning to a clean energy economy.

At a news conference at USGBC's Greenbuild International Conference & Expo in Phoenix, the organizations released a step-by-step green building policy guide for communities of all sizes.

The recommended policies range from basic to more advanced plans of action to address energy efficiency and environmental sustainability through the built environment.

"Local governments have long been laboratories of innovation when it comes to energy efficiency, proving by example that sustainable building practices can be effectively brought to scale.

USGBC is pleased to join forces with the Sierra Club to engage our network of green building practitioners on this important campaign," said Roger Platt, USGBC's Senior Vice President for Global Policy and Law.

Highlighted policies include leadership standards for government buildings that serve as models for the community; financial and no-cost incentives to build green for the commercial and residential sectors; and improved minimum efficiency standards through energy code adoption and enforcement.