Should green building codes be mandatory?
Leading the way was California who at the beginning of the year said yes we can!
California was the first state to adopt a Green Building Code “CALGREEN”. Ironic given CA also has the worst budgetary woes. Still, Governor Schwarzenegger proclaimed that this action "lays the foundation (pun intended?) for the move to greener buildings constructed with environmentally advanced building practices that decrease waste, reduce energy use and conserve resources.” The California Air Resources Board estimates that the mandatory provisions will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by millions of metric tons by 2020. So far some cities and counties may have followed suit but not other states.
If the golden state can officially go green when swimming in red, should Washington do it too?
Some have advocated that efforts to make green building required by code would be too much and should remain voluntary. Even though in 2008 Governor Gregoire signed then unprecedented legislation making Washington the fourth state in the nation to adopt comprehensive limits on global warming pollution and recently reported that green jobs in WA actually increased in the recession, she has not taken the next step to propose a code that would mandate what CALGREEN has.
Greg -
Great article on codification. I think we are likely to see a final code by 2012. The ICC's new green code is a good start. The public hearings are happening this July.
I did a write up about the IGCC a month back (http://bit.ly/bqUqTc).
Best,
Doug