USGBC

With funds from the Infrastructure and Investment Act and Inflation Reduction Act now available, the U.S. is accelerating its strategies to fight climate change. Climate Mayors, a bipartisan organization whose members are dedicated to demonstrating climate leadership through meaningful actions in their communities, is playing a vital, front-line role in this effort. Providing leadership and strategic direction for the organization's activities is its executive director, Kate Wright. USGBC recently spoke with her about the organization and the work that lies ahead.

In USGBC's new “Executive's Corner” podcast series, we speak with a variety of industry leaders about their experience and insights. For our first episode, we converse with Kimberly Dowdell, principal at HOK and 2024 president of the American Institute of Architects.

Heather Clark, who is the Director of Building Emissions at the White House Climate Office, recently spoke with Liz Beardsley from USGBC about the latest announcements regarding building decarbonization that were made by the U.S. Government during COP 28. They also discussed some upcoming developments, including the National Definition of Zero Emission Building.

USGBC's senior manager of state and local advocacy, Jennifer Gunby, shares her top tips on how to advocate for more sustainable buildings and communities. If you've ever wondered how to use your professional expertise to positively impact your community and state, find the ways that work well for you using Gunby's advice and stories from her thousands of touchpoints in the field. Elizabeth Thompson, USGBC's vice president of growth marketing, interviews Gunby for this podcast.

What is green finance? How does it work? Why is it becoming so important to building industry leaders? Those are some of the questions USGBC addresses in this two-part podcast series featuring Chris Pyke and Sarah Welton of GRESB. Part 2 explores how ESG and green finance complement each other and the action of green building, and why their relationship is so important to a financial community looking to lock in returns on its investments.

What is green finance? How does it work? Why is it becoming so important to building industry leaders? Those are some of the questions USGBC addresses in this two-part podcast series featuring Chris Pyke and Sarah Welton of GRESB.

Learn how green bonds and sustainability-linked loans are backing our future in this USGBC+ article from fall 2022.

In this USGBC+ article by Calvin Hennick, hear how the developer behind the Hunter's Point neighborhood hopes to spark a national wave of homes that produce more energy than they consume.

In this USGBC+ article written and read by Farah Qadeer, hear how three companies in India exemplify the nation's commitment to emissions reduction.

Learn how Kevin Bates, founder of Sharp Development Company, uses holistic, integrated design to profitably retrofit existing buildings to net zero energy with a strong emphasis on health and wellness for occupants with Liz Beardsley, USGBC Senior Policy Counsel.

USGBC's Ben Evans and Deisy Verdinez speak with Ted Toon at the EPA about the agency's new Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. The $27 billion program will provide low-cost financing for projects to reduce emissions and will have a particular focus on low-income communities. Learn how what this program is intended to accomplish and how projects can take advantage of this exciting program.

Learn how U.S. federal sustainability finance incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act support green and efficient buildings, cities, and jobs. Also hear about what funding is available now, and where to look for future opportunities.

In this summer 2023 article by Kiley Jacques, hear how the SITES-certified Orange Mall adds a flexible, accessible and climate-responsive promenade to the ASU campus.

In this USGBC+ article by Lydia Lee, hear how, over 20 years, the David L. Lawrence Convention Center has used LEED Sustainable Sites strategies to support biodiversity and access to nature.

In honor of Net Zero Buildings Week 2023, we are sharing an audio version of our 2020 article on the first building to achieve LEED Zero in all four categories: carbon, energy, water and waste. https://www.usgbc.org/articles/colgate-palmolive-facility-new-jersey-achieves-leed-zero-waste

In honor of Net Zero Buildings Week 2023, we are sharing an audio version of our 2020 article on the first three LEED Zero Energy projects worldwide. https://www.usgbc.org/articles/first-three-leed-zero-energy-projects-show-market-what-s-possible

In this Spring 2023 USGBC+ article by Calvin Hennick, hear how growing diversity, equity and inclusion in the green building community involves many aspects that deserve our attention.

In this Winter 2023 USGBC+ article read by author Marialyce Pedersen, hear how combining TRUE with the EPA's WARM model accelerates results.

Learn about the benefits of being in a LEED-certified building. Access the PDF resource online https://www.usgbc.org/resources/get-most-out-your-leed-certified-space.

In this Winter 2023 USGBC+ article by Alana Pedalino, hear how Faith Baptist Church feeds Oakland's hungry and serves as the city's first climate resilience hub.

Hear from Anyeley Hallová, chair of the USGBC board of directors, Peter Templeton, president and CEO of USGBC, GBCI and Arc, and Melissa Baker, senior vice president of LEED, as they review USGBC's 2022 activities and offer a preview of what's to come in 2023.

In this Winter 2023 USGBC+ article by Calvin Hennick, hear how a dedication to sustainability has helped three companies increase their LEED portfolios in a relatively short span.

Listen to a briefing featuring former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott and former Senator John Breaux offering their insights on what to expect in the 118th Congress. The event included welcome remarks and introductions from USGBC president and CEO Peter Templeton. Lott and Breaux offered their perspectives on the results of the 2022 elections, policy opportunities in the new year, and the ongoing implementation challenges and opportunities from the historic Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

Hear from USGBC's Advocacy & Policy team for a year-end review of the exciting green building policy developments in 2022. Learn the major international, federal, and state policy highlights from 2022, along with a look ahead of what to expect in 2023.

Review the Inflation Reduction Act investments to improve the energy efficiency and sustainability of buildings, which include tax incentives, rebates, grants, and loans.

Review the Inflation Reduction Act investments to improve the energy efficiency and sustainability of buildings, which include tax incentives, rebates, grants, and loans.

Review the Inflation Reduction Act investments to improve the energy efficiency and sustainability of buildings, which include tax incentives, rebates, grants, and loans.

Nina Albert, Commissioner of the Public Buildings Service (PBS) at the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), joins USGBC Live in person in Washington, DC on June 10 to deliver keynote remarks at our closing session. PBS is comprised of nationwide asset management, design, construction, leasing, building management and disposal of approximately 371 million square feet of government-owned and leased space across the United States and six territories.

Adrianne Todman, Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development joins USGBC Live in person in Washington, DC on June 9 to deliver keynote remarks at our opening session. The Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is focused on the pursuit of economic development and creating affordable housing for low-income families and underserved communities that bear the brunt of the climate-fueled impact.

Jennifer M. Granholm was sworn in as the 16th Secretary of Energy on February 25, 2021, becoming just the second woman to lead the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Secretary Granholm will lead DOE in helping America achieve President Biden's goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 by advancing cutting-edge clean energy technologies, creating millions of good-paying union clean energy jobs, and building an equitable clean energy future.

Hear from the USGBC and GBCI Boards of Directors chairs to learn how they hope to drive transformation of the global built environment through a new approach to scale. Read the letter from the boards announcing this update: https://www.usgbc.org/articles/letter-usgbc-and-gbci-boards-driving-performance-scale.

Explore what building decarbonization is about, how LEED supports decarbonization and key policies.

After 14 years as senior vice president of credentialing and certification at GBCI, Sarah Alexander will be moving on to focus on her family. Listen to Sarah speak about her experiences at GBCI and what motivates her about sustainability credentialing and certification. Sarah Alexander's role has centered around professional credential and certification activities for GBCI's suite of green business and sustainability products worldwide. GBCI administers credentials and certifications for USGBC's LEED certification, the world's most widely used green building rating system, as well as the PEER standard for power systems, the WELL building standard, SITES, EDGE, TRUE, City Climate Planner, and the Investor Confidence Project (ICP) for energy efficiency retrofits. Sarah's time at GBCI has helped support an internal center for technical excellence and is marked by tremendous growth and activity both for GBCI and USGBC.

Learn what you can do to build the pipeline of future green building professionals. Explore six ideas for how green building companies can become more involved in strengthening education, engagement and experiences for students in their communities. Individual employees, groups or whole companies can implement these ideas. Likewise, the beneficiaries can be individual students, schools or entire school systems.

USGBC Live is the leading event for the future of buildings, cities and communities. Content at USGBC Live shares how to implement LEED, offers networking opportunities beyond the event to meet others in the industry, reveals new green building strategies that help with real world issues and explores the latest in green building technology platforms, including updates to LEED. Jerome Foster II is an environmental activist, voting rights advocate, and emerging technology engineer. He sits on President Biden's White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council.

USGBC Live is the leading event for the future of buildings, cities and communities. Content at USGBC Live shares how to implement LEED, offers networking opportunities beyond the event to meet others in the industry, reveals new green building strategies that help with real world issues and explores the latest in green building technology platforms, including updates to LEED. Donnel Baird is the CEO and founder of BlocPower, a climate tech company working to rapidly green America's buildings in 25+ cities. He will share why aging buildings are a leading source of greenhouse gas emissions and how to solve this problem, while improving health outcomes and creating good, green jobs.

USGBC Live is the leading event for the future of buildings, cities and communities. Content at USGBC Live shares how to implement LEED, offers networking opportunities beyond the event to meet others in the industry, reveals new green building strategies that help with real world issues and explores the latest in green building technology platforms, including updates to LEED. Rev. Mariama White-Hammond, Chief of Environment, Energy, and Open Space with the City of Boston joins us for our closing session. As Chief, Rev. White-Hammond oversees policy and programs on energy, climate change, sustainability, historic preservation and open space and has extensive background embedding equity and environmental justice into Boston's communities. We'll explore innovative city initiatives including the Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO) to set carbon targets for existing large buildings, the Net Zero Carbon Zoning initiative, and a city-led youth green jobs program.

USGBC Live is the leading event for the future of buildings, cities and communities. Content at USGBC Live shares how to implement LEED, offers networking opportunities beyond the event to meet others in the industry, reveals new green building strategies that help with real world issues and explores the latest in green building technology platforms, including updates to LEED. We are at a crossroads – one path is green and lush, the other, charred. Economist, Water Protector, and Author, Winona LaDuke will share why a just transition through equitable access and mindful sustainability actions will build a green economy. Winona will explore how honoring natural biodiversity, increasing access to renewable energy, designing zero-carbon intentions, and delivering on intergenerational equity will collectively support our economic prosperity. Because when we put our heads together, and choose the green path, we will deliver a more peaceful and prosperous future for all.

USGBC Live is the leading event for the future of buildings, cities and communities. Content at USGBC Live shares how to implement LEED, offers networking opportunities beyond the event to meet others in the industry, reveals new green building strategies that help with real world issues and explores the latest in green building technology platforms, including updates to LEED. Greening our Economy: Perspectives on Equitable and Innovative Urban Development with Channon Lemon, Monte Hillemen, and Natalie Self. Our communities are constantly evolving and the way they are designed and developed plots the course for the health, sustainability, resiliency, and equitable access of those the community serves. Large scale projects not only provide an opportunity for economic growth and spark excitement but can have several ripple effects that spinoff smaller projects and the potential to collectively change the community moving forward. This session will bring together three leaders to share their perspectives on how developments can change the course of the communities they are designed within. We will explore how engaging stakeholders through the process can lead to positive impact, discuss the hard questions and learn how these leaders are addressing gentrification, green and healthy job creation and how the introduction of new community developments can underpin the creation of a local green economy.

References to "ESG"—or environmental, social and governance factors—are everywhere you look these days. What does ESG mean, and why does it matter? Recent economic, public health and social justice crises have intensified the already surging interest in ESG. Learn more about how green building and ESG work together.

Hear from three organizations that embody their ESG commitments and goals through building design and operations.

Green building leadership is not marked by a single moment in time – it is an ongoing and evolving commitment to performance. Learn why making an investment in ESG strategies including sustainability and health gives enterprise returns, ongoing operational savings and improves health and wellbeing.

Ranya Metwalli Shields, a sustainability specialist, describes her career pathway, recommendations for getting into the field and insights about what's ahead. Learn more about Ranya at https://www.usgbc.org/people/ranya-metwalli/0010206893 and explore more green building careers at https://green-careers.usgbc.org/.

USGBC asked LEED Technical Advisory Group (TAG) members what they thought was most critical to bring about a regenerative future. Here is what Greg Collins, chair of the Energy and Atmosphere TAG, had to say.

USGBC asked LEED Technical Advisory Group (TAG) members what they thought was most critical to bring about a regenerative future. Here is what Patrick Boyle, chair of the Water Efficiency TAG, had to say.

USGBC asked LEED Technical Advisory Group (TAG) members what they thought was most critical to bring about a regenerative future. Here is what Neil Rosen, vice chair of the Indoor Environmental Quality TAG, had to say.

USGBC asked LEED Technical Advisory Group (TAG) members what they thought was most critical to bring about a regenerative future. Here is what William Paddock, chair of the Materials and Resources TAG, had to say.

USGBC asked LEED Technical Advisory Group (TAG) members what they thought was most critical to bring about a regenerative future. Here is what Peter Stair, chair of the Location and Planning TAG, had to say.

USGBC asked LEED Technical Advisory Group (TAG) members what they thought was most critical to bring about a regenerative future. Here is what Carrie Havey, chair of the Sustainable Sites TAG, had to say.

Lisa Stanley (Director, Technical Solutions at USGBC) talks about the differences between LEED 2009 and LEED v4.1, the impactful changes, and how to transition your project, in this webinar recorded on Oct 15, 2020. Check out additional resources to support this session on Education @USGBC.

Listen to Daryn Cline (Director, Environmental Technologies, EVAPCO, Inc.) discuss the LEED Safety First pilot credit: Building Water System Recommissioning.