BuildingGreen Report

Op-Ed

To decarbonize the building sector, we need to align our efforts. Let’s get to it.

September 14, 2023

This is the final article in a five-part series introducing a comprehensive, universal carbon standard for buildings. Part One explains how “net zero” has failed us. Part Two introduces the six building blocks of a proposed low-carbon standard. And Part Three provides details on each of those six things.

Part Four explains why we need... Read more

Webcast

September 13, 2023

Conventional stormwater management treats rain as the enemy—a dangerous and destructive force that must be deflected away from building sites as quickly as possible.

But as we pave more and more of paradise, this conventional approach actually compounds rainwater’s danger and destructiveness. The resulting runoff can... Read more

Op-Ed

RECs and carbon offsets lack credibility, and grid interactivity adds unnecessary complexity. That's why this standard leaves them out.

September 12, 2023

This is the fourth article in a five-part series introducing a comprehensive, universal carbon standard for buildings. Part One explains how “net zero” has failed us. Part Two introduces the six building blocks of a proposed low-carbon standard. And Part Three provides details on each of those six things. 

Part Four (this one) explains... Read more

News Analysis

This program funds clean-energy projects, including building-scale technologies, primarily through grants to nonprofit financial institutions.

September 11, 2023

This article has been prepared for informational purposes only; it is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, tax, legal, or accounting advice. You should consult your firm’s tax, legal, and accounting advisors before engaging in any transaction.​​

Responsible agency

U.S. Environmental Protection... Read more

News Analysis

This program provides a tax credit to homeowners for energy efficiency improvements in residential homes.

September 11, 2023

This article has been prepared for informational purposes only; it is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, tax, legal, or accounting advice. You should consult your firm’s tax, legal, and accounting advisors before engaging in any transaction.​

Responsible agency

U.S. Department of the Treasury... Read more

News Analysis

Whether you call it CalGreen, Title 24, or simply “the law,” its embodied carbon requirement is unprecedented in the U.S. We analyze the code and what might come next for other states.

September 11, 2023

California has become the first U.S. state to mandate reductions in embodied carbon, the greenhouse gas emissions associated with building materials and construction.

Both the development process and the compliance structure set important precedents for potential code changes in other states and even in national model codes.

... Read more

News Analysis

This program provides a tax credit for investment in renewable energy projects. It includes bonus credit for projects in energy communities and projects that use certain amounts of U.S.-manufactured products, including steel and iron.

September 11, 2023

This article has been prepared for informational purposes only; it is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, tax, legal, or accounting advice. You should consult your firm’s tax, legal, and accounting advisors before engaging in any transaction.​​

Responsible agency

The U.S. Department of the Treasury

Summary of... Read more

News Analysis

This program will administer grants and loans to owners or sponsors of HUD-assisted multifamily housing to improve its resilience and quality.

September 11, 2023

This article has been prepared for informational purposes only; it is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, tax, legal, or accounting advice. You should consult your firm’s tax, legal, and accounting advisors before engaging in any transaction.​​

Responsible agency

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban... Read more

News Brief

Behind every online order, there are people. A new study explores ways to ensure they have safe and supportive workplaces.

September 11, 2023

Have you ever thought about the chain of events you initiate every time you click “buy now” in the comfort of your home or office?

Several human beings leap into service to fulfill your order: pickers, packers, long-haul truckers, loaders, sorters, and delivery drivers. And the warehouses and distribution centers where most of them work... Read more

Feature Article

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been linked to negative health and environmental impacts. Getting them out of our building products is going to require work.

September 11, 2023

Design teams want their buildings to look their best and to continue looking that way for years to come. So they choose materials that are durable and resist dirt, stains, and weathering. And that synthetic, shiny surface that sheds dirt doesn’t have to be replaced as often, saving energy, time, and resources. Sounds like a great low-carbon... Read more

News Analysis

This provision offers a tax credit to homebuilders for the construction of new energy-efficient homes, including multifamily projects.

September 11, 2023

This article has been prepared for informational purposes only; it is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, tax, legal, or accounting advice. You should consult your firm’s tax, legal, and accounting advisors before engaging in any transaction.​​

Responsible agency

The U.S. Department of the Treasury

Summary of... Read more

News Analysis

This provision offers a bonus credit to the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for small-scale solar and wind projects located in low-income and environmental justice communities.

September 11, 2023

This article has been prepared for informational purposes only; it is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, tax, legal, or accounting advice. You should consult your firm’s tax, legal, and accounting advisors before engaging in any transaction.​​

Responsible agency

U.S. Department of the Treasury in partnership with... Read more

Op-Ed

Here’s how we’re going to deconstruct “net zero” and rebuild it as a comprehensive standard that applies to every building.

September 6, 2023

This is the third article in a five-part series introducing a comprehensive, universal carbon standard for buildings. Part One explains how “net zero” has failed us. Part Two introduces the six building blocks of a proposed low-carbon standard. And Part Three (this one) provides details on each of those six things. 

Part Four explains... Read more

News Analysis

This provision offers commercial building owners and renters (and designers of properties owned by tax-exempt entities) a tax deduction for certain energy-efficiency improvements.

August 29, 2023

This article has been prepared for informational purposes only; it is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, tax, legal, or accounting advice. You should consult your firm’s tax, legal, and accounting advisors before engaging in any transaction.​​

Responsible agency

U.S. Department of the Treasury

Summary of... Read more

Op-Ed

The building industry’s current net-zero-energy and net-zero-carbon standards got complicated for a reason, but they don’t have to stay that way.

August 28, 2023

This is the second article in a five-part series introducing a comprehensive, universal carbon standard for buildings. Part One explains how “net zero” has failed us. Part Two (this one) introduces the six building blocks of a proposed low-carbon standard. And Part Three provides details on each of those six things. 

Part Four explains... Read more

Op-Ed

The building sector’s current “net-zero” standards are not credible, not scalable, and don’t eliminate emissions. There’s a better way.

August 21, 2023

This is the first article in a five-part series introducing a comprehensive, universal carbon standard for buildings. It explains how “net zero” has failed us. Part Two introduces the six building blocks of a proposed low-carbon standard. And Part Three provides details on each of those six things. 

Part Four explains why we need to... Read more

Primer

The GHG Protocol’s three emission scopes acknowledge the complexities of supply and demand while also encouraging sector-wide alignment, consistent transparency, and support for science-based decarbonization targets.

August 17, 2023

Most of this primer was first published as an explanatory sidebar for our news article SBTi: To Decarbonize, AEC Firms Must “Own” Clients’ Buildings.

The GHG Protocol’s Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard defines three emission “scopes.” The higher the scope number, the less influence the company has over the emissions.

... Read more

Blog Post

Our guests reply to the Qs we didn’t get to during our July 26 event. Plus, here’s the recording if you missed it, and USGBC will host several v5 update sessions at Greenbuild.

August 15, 2023

What a pleasure it was hosting Sarah Talkington (LEED Steering Committee chair) and Keith Amann (past chair of the LEED Advisory Committee, past member of the LEED Steering Committee) for our recent LEEDuser coffee talk, What’s up with LEED v5?

Even better: Sarah and Keith generously agreed to answer some lingering questions we didn’t... Read more

News Brief

ZeroGuide, a free whole-life-emissions tool from NBBJ, is about education as much as it is about modeling. It’s also a gateway to more refined approaches.

August 7, 2023

It started as a way to strengthen carbon literacy among designers at NBBJ Design. Four years later, ZeroGuide has been released to the public for free with a dual mission: to support early design decisions for projects and to influence future projects.

Several widely respected data sources—including Cambium and PVWatts from the National... Read more

News Brief

The IRA may be revolutionizing green building. Learn how to leverage this generational funding to curtail carbon and elevate equity.

August 7, 2023

Remember all those times when a sustainability “conversation” felt more like a fight? A fight you were losing?

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is helping project teams replay that old scene with a new character: Uncle Sam, proffering his open wallet.

By incentivizing technologies that slash emissions and processes that include... Read more