Author: Energy Cost

Embracing the principles of biodiversity and nurturing flourishing ecosystems is fundamental to the Future of LEED. In this vision, the built environment seamlessly coexists with ecological systems, supporting a vibrant and sustainable life for all inhabitants. LEED and SITES projects stand as shining examples, showcasing the remarkable commitment of our green building community to promoting biodiversity, integrating biophilic design elements, and implementing energy and water systems that offer substantial benefits.

In my work as an associate director on the LEED Technical Development team at USGBC, I have discovered that a key aspect of enhancing biodiversity lies in the integration of nature-based design principles into project planning and development. My responsibilities include overseeing the technical development of the Sustainable Sites (SS) credit category within the LEED rating system, in addition to facilitating LEED committees such as the SS Technical Advisory Group.

LEED’s SS credits play a crucial role in enhancing biodiversity by encouraging the preservation and restoration of ecological systems, including the conservation of biodiversity, through thoughtful site selection and development. Projects can earn points by implementing strategies such as protecting or restoring habitat, promoting native plantings, and minimizing disruption to the surrounding environment during construction.

From the very beginning of planning a project, project teams should consider nature-based and biophilic design strategies to reconnect occupants with nature. Biophilic design goes beyond aesthetics and holds immense potential to significantly reduce CO2 emissions, enhance biodiversity of plants and wildlife, and effectively regulate the temperature of buildings. Incorporating elements such as green roofs, vertical gardens and natural daylighting not only improve human experience, but also create habitats for various species. In this issue of USGBC+, you can read about how the LEED Platinum David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh supports biodiversity in an urban setting by integrating native plantings and pollinator habitat.

https://www.usgbc.org/articles/leed-enhancing-biodiversity-worldwide

Green building practices are more important than ever. Green buildings save money, improve efficiency, lower carbon emissions and create healthier places for people. They are critical to addressing climate change and meeting ESG goals, enhancing resilience, and supporting more equitable communities.

In the spring of 2023, members of the green building community were invited to participate in an industry poll that aimed to capture their views on current issues and priorities. The survey received over 500 responses from various green building professionals, including USGBC members and LEED project teams.

The survey found that human health, decarbonization, net zero and ESG were the main drivers of green building activity from clients. Lack of funding and lack of knowledge were identified as key barriers to implementing green building practices and projects, and survey respondents view sustainability as core to their organizational mission and part of their business strategy as a market differentiator and competitive advantage.

Survey respondents also noted that building owners, tenants and policymakers strive to decrease their carbon footprint, improve occupant health and well-being, and enhance the resilience of buildings to extreme weather events.

As we look to the rest of 2023 and beyond, view the Green Building Trends and Sentiments report to learn more about the trends shaping the future of the green building industry, which includes a summary of the responses to our industry poll.

https://www.usgbc.org/articles/new-usgbc-industry-poll-finds-human-health-decarbonization-net-zero-and-esg-main-drivers

Green building practices are more important than ever. Green buildings save money, improve efficiency, lower carbon emissions and create healthier places for people. They are critical to addressing climate change and meeting ESG goals, enhancing resilience, and supporting more equitable communities.

In the spring of 2023, members of the green building community were invited to participate in an industry poll that aimed to capture their views on current issues and priorities. The survey received over 500 responses from various green building professionals, including USGBC members and LEED project teams.

The survey found that human health, decarbonization, net zero and ESG were the main drivers of green building activity from clients. Lack of funding and lack of knowledge were identified as key barriers to implementing green building practices and projects, and survey respondents view sustainability as core to their organizational mission and part of their business strategy as a market differentiator and competitive advantage.

Survey respondents also noted that building owners, tenants and policymakers strive to decrease their carbon footprint, improve occupant health and well-being, and enhance the resilience of buildings to extreme weather events.

As we look to the rest of 2023 and beyond, view the Green Building Trends and Sentiments report to learn more about the trends shaping the future of the green building industry, which includes a summary of the responses to our industry poll.

To learn more about net zero, join USGBC us this week for Net Zero Buildings Week, an initiative led by the New Buildings Institute. Net Zero Buildings Week is designed to invite more people to join the movement to decarbonize everything from our schools to our communities. Members of USGBC and the green building community are invited to get involved.

https://www.usgbc.org/articles/new-usgbc-industry-poll-finds-human-health-decarbonization-net-zero-and-esg-main-drivers

The new report, which was completed in partnership with USGBC and dozens of other organizations in the building space, takes the pulse on where things stand with regard to diversity, equity and inclusion. It includes a breakdown of the definition of diversity. More than 7 in 10 respondents included race (75%), ethnicity (74%), gender (73%) and age (71%) in their definition of aspects of diversity within the context of the built environment.

Nearly two-thirds (63%) of respondents said it’s important to increase the diversity of the built environment. Overall, women (79%) and younger respondents—aged 39 or younger (68%) and aged 40 to 49 (66%)—were more likely to indicate the importance of increasing diversity.

Report highlights

Highlights of the 2023 Built Environment Workforce Survey include:

• About three in ten (29%) respondents indicated that the built environment is not diverse at all or is a little diverse, and about one-third (34%) indicated that the built environment is diverse or extremely diverse.
• Overall, women respondents (39%) and respondents who are Black, African American and/or of African descent (50%) were more likely to indicate the built environment is not diverse or is a little diverse.
• Overall, younger respondents—aged 39 or younger (68%) and aged 40 to 49 (66%)—and women respondents (79%) were more likely to indicate it is important or extremely important to increase the diversity of the built environment.
• More than three-quarters (76%) of respondents who are Hispanic and/or Latina/Latino/Latinx and nearly four in five (79%) respondents who are Black, African American, and/or of African descent indicated it is important or extremely important to increase the diversity of the built environment.
• Almost one-third (32%) of respondents indicated they have experienced discrimination or prejudice based on age.
• Around two-thirds (67%) of women respondents indicated they have experienced discrimination or prejudice in the built environment based on gender.
• More than half (55%) of respondents who are Black, African American and/or of African descent indicated they have experienced discrimination or prejudice based on race during their career in the built environment.
• Nearly two in five (39%) respondents agreed or strongly agreed with the following statement: “I have to work harder than others to be valued equally in the built environment.”

https://www.usgbc.org/articles/built-environment-workforce-survey-results-increasing-diversity-matters

Public buildings account for about one in every six buildings in the U.S. – think schools, post offices, universities, fire stations and courthouses. That represents an enormous opportunity for cities, states and the federal government to demonstrate green building leadership.

While many governments are doing just that, too often, upfront costs and deference to the status quo are obstacles to progress, with leaders making short-term decisions that ignore the long-term benefits of green buildings, including saving taxpayers money through lower energy bills, reducing GHG emissions, and creating more resilient and comfortable workplaces.

With the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, that dynamic should be changing. New tax incentives, low-cost financing and grant programs under the law make a compelling case for incorporating green practices into all public building projects. Sure, we don’t have all the answers yet on how the programs will be implemented. But we will soon, and from what we do know, the economics for green public buildings may have never been better.

Among the many improvements under the new law is that many of the tax incentives encouraging green building are not only more generous, but they are also much more accessible to public and nonprofit entities through mechanisms that allow the incentives to be easily transferred or, in some cases, provided essentially as rebates through direct pay provisions.

Additionally, the U.S. Department of Energy, the EPA and other agencies are busy implementing a variety of programs that states and local governments can use for building projects, providing low-cost capital and, in some cases, outright grants to fund all or a portion of a project.

Below are some highlights that every green building practitioner and government facilities leader should know about. For an even fuller picture, check out our resource on public and nonprofit building programs under the IRA and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

https://www.usgbc.org/articles/ira-update-new-economics-allowing-public-sector-buildings-go-green

Building owners and employers that earn LEED certification send a strong message that they care about the health and well-being of their building’s occupants and the environment, as well as their impact on the community. LEED-certified buildings are better buildings.

The relationship between the indoor environment and the health and comfort of occupants is complex. Local customs and expectations, occupant activities, and the building’s site, design, and construction are just a few variables that make it harder to measure. However, there are many ways to quantify the direct effect of a building on its occupants.

LEED balances the need for prescriptive measures with more performance-oriented requirements, combining traditional approaches with emerging design strategies. Traditional approaches include ventilation and thermal control, while the emerging design techniques involve advanced lighting metrics, acoustics and a holistic emissions-based approach. LEED has several strategies that specifically address health, well-being and productivity.

By incorporating these LEED strategies into the design and operation of a building, building owners and occupants can create a healthier and more productive environment that benefits both people and the planet. Download the new guide to learn more.

https://www.usgbc.org/articles/tenants-learn-how-get-most-out-your-leed-certified-space

On March 14, the  Center for Green Schools hosted a webinar, “Climate Change Education Across the Nation: How State Policy Is Delivering Impact,” highlighting district-level stories about the impacts of state climate legislation. The Center was joined by panelists from Ten Strands, the Maine Environmental Education Association and Our Climate, who shared their firsthand experiences creating, advocating for and implementing climate education legislation in their states.

Here are some highlights of the work being done on the ground:

1. The Center for Green Schools highlighted its forthcoming paper in partnership with the Campaign for Environmental Literacy, which profiles example legislation that supports climate change education within the formal K–12 education system and provides talking points with citations and a model climate literacy bill for advocates. The Campaign for Environmental Literacy highlighted two of the states profiled in the report, New Jersey and Washington, and their current legislation.

2. Massachusetts students from Our Climate, who were instrumental in creating the interdisciplinary climate justice education bill, spoke about their journey, which started in 2020 with drafting the legislation. Since then, students have been a driving force in pushing this bill forward. They spoke about lessons learned, from the difficulties lobbying during school hours to the lack of transparency in the legislative process. They covered what’s next, such as creating a platform to drive advocacy strategy with all parties and initiating a lobbying day for teachers.

3. In turn, the Maine Environmental Education Association spoke to the role that young people have played and the process for their pilot program to encourage climate education in Maine. Since 2021, the Nature Based Education Consortium‘s youth-led Climate Education Advocacy working group has met to create a funded policy that gives teachers access to climate education professional development, with a focus on equity. Although the bill faced several hurdles, young people and educators alike played a pivotal role in getting it passed in 2022.

Elevating the voices of women in our green building community is especially timely during Women’s History Month. Women have always been leaders in the sustainability movement—from Rachel Carson’s environmental advocacy in the 1960s to Greta Thunberg’s in the present day. Among the many women setting the course for an even more sustainable future are four professionals who recently shared their thoughts with USGBC on the future of green building, mentoring the next generation and projects that inspire them:

• Hannah Baghdadi, sustainability and environmental analyst, Corning Incorporated
• Katie Bergfeld, branch chief, building performance and enforcement, Department of Energy and Environment, Government of the District of Columbia
• Meredith Hendricks, vice president—sustainability, Entegrity
• Tonya Hicks, president and CEO, Power Solutions; president and founder, Women Do Everything LLC

What are the challenges of your professional role in helping to build a more sustainable world?

https://www.usgbc.org/articles/womens-voices-green-building-pursuing-progress-and-opportunity