San Francisco to Mandate Environmental Standards for Private-Sector Buildings

A spokesperson for San Francisco’s Department of Environment confirmed that chances were very good that legislation would be enacted to formalize recommendations put forth in a June 2007 report by the Mayor’s Task Force on Green Building. Following the proposed recommendations, large commercial and high-rise residential buildings, both new and renovated, would be required to satisfy LEED Certified standards immediately, and LEED Gold standards by 2012. Also by 2012, smaller residential buildings would have to satisfy the introductory level GreenPoint Rated standards. Various incentives will be made available for buildings that exceed the standards. Following committee hearings on issues such as the fiscal impact of the ruling, San Francisco’s combined city and county legislative body could pass an ordinance enabling Mayor Newsom to sign it into law as early as January 2008. If legislation is enacted according to the report’s recommendations, San Francisco will be on a path to having the nation’s most rigorous environmental building standards. See www.sfenvironment.org (under Quicklinks, click on “Green Buildings Task Force Report”) and www.builditgreen.org/greenpointrated/ for more information.