It cannot be argued that we are entering a new phase of the climate change conversation that’s focused on real, practicable, solutions. Over the period of about two years, the dominant question in the public’s mind has evolved from “is it real?” to “what do we do about it?” And moreover, it is increasingly understood that we need solutions, not a single solution, and that it will be a process, not an event.

Planning at every level for how we transform our behavior as a society to both reduce CO2 emissions and adapt to the climatic changes we’ve already put into motion now includes buildings — how they’re designed and constructed as well as how they’re operated — among the solutions. This is an important development: We in the building and real estate industries, on a voluntary basis, have been transforming the way we work toward sustainability for more than a decade. Through the work of U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) members and chapters and organizations like American Institute of Architects (AIA), Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International, The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), and the Real Estate Roundtable, among others, our community’s commitment to be part of the solution is being heard and being recognized.

Cities, localities and states have been at the forefront of advancing a solutions agenda for climate change, and of embracing a vision for a sustainable future overall. Federal interest in how buildings can play a part in solutions is emerging as well. As Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., chairman of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, stated before the committee on May 15, 2008: “Energy-efficient buildings must be part of a comprehensive fight against global warming. Efficient design, low-emission construction materials and decreased energy use in buildings can combat global warming and simultaneously reduce the rising costs of lighting, heating and cooling structures.”

In the Senate, the recent Manager’s Amendment of the Lieberman-Warner climate bill includes $51 billion for energy-efficient new and existing buildings. And, a number of federal bills have been introduced this year that would help school districts nationwide green what are arguably our society’s most-important facilities: our children’s schools.

The opportunities, not only to be a part of the solution, but also to drive tremendous growth and innovation — and to contribute new green jobs to our economy — is enormous. A McKinsey study last year demonstrated that greenhouse gas emission reductions from building energy efficiency in our homes and in our commercial buildings would have a negative cost impact (which is to say it would be a profitable investment). And moreover, initial USGBC calculations indicate that a complete commitment to energy efficiency in existing commercial buildings alone could generate 1.2 million new green collar jobs.

USGBC’s 16,000-plus organizational members and the hundreds of thousands of individuals who today comprise the green building movement are leading by example: demonstrating to American business and political leadership that we can prosper by transforming our thinking and greening our work. An integrated approach, focusing on what we have in abundance, and backing up our good intentions with measurement and verification is changing one of the biggest and oldest industries in the world. And by doing so, we’re changing the built environment for the better. Let’s keep the momentum going, and challenge everyone else to keep up.



Rick Fedrizzi, founding chairman of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), was appointed president and CEO of USGBC in April 2004. Under his leadership, the council has embarked on a number of critical endeavors, such as the development of LEED Version 3.0 and the sustainable reconstruction of the Gulf Coast region. Fedrizzi is also driving the council’s comprehensive agenda on global climate change, which includes a major partnership with the Clinton Climate Initiative.