Advocacy + Policy

At USGBC California, advocacy is our mission in action. We champion climate-forward, people-centered solutions by influencing policy, amplifying community voices, and building coalitions across the state.

Whether we’re supporting legislation, convening stakeholders, or hosting trainings, advocacy runs through everything we do. From our members to our events, from local governments to national partners, we believe in the power of collective action.

We advocate for:

• Sustainable, high-performance buildings

• Climate resilience and carbon reduction

• Equitable access to green infrastructure

• Public and private sector innovation

• Policies that reflect the voices of the people most impacted

 

Join us in shaping California’s green future!

USGBC California has identified the following as Current Priorities in our policy and advocacy work:

 

Our Core Strategy is anchored in the following:

• Furthering relationships with public agencies, local governments, the state legislature, and mission-aligned organizations in California
• Interweaving advocacy efforts throughout all of USGBC California’s programs, events, & culture 
• Educating USGBC California members on our advocacy priorities and inviting their ideas and involvement in our initiatives 
• Bringing awareness of climate policies, initiatives, and new technologies to our community
• Working with Regional Leadership Advisory Boards throughout the State of California to fortify a strong volunteer network for advocacy and policy initiatives 
• Spearheading ‘California Advocacy Day’ 
• Fostering dialogue between our membership and local and state agencies related to code updates, code implementation efforts, and our advocacy + policy priorities 
• Collaborating with the Advocacy Team at USGBC National to coordinate and deliver resources to our membership base

This living resource is intended to serve as a clearinghouse for tools, information, technical resources, funding opportunities, and more. It will evolve and be updated frequently, stay tuned!

USGBC California has a proven track record for advocating alongside mission-aligned organizations, community groups, and our membership base on relevant climate action initiatives and issues of the day. We believe in the power of the collective to spearhead impactful movement towards environmental justice, carbon emissions reduction, high-road jobs, equity and respect for all, and ecological innovation.  

As such, we welcome requests for letters of support for changes to local, regional, and statewide climate policy and legislation, green building code reform, grant funding for environmentally-responsive projects and initiatives, and more. 

Please complete this form at least five (5) business days prior to your deadline.

*Requests requiring a turnaround of less than five (5) days will not be considered.*

 

Our Process Flow:

Here’s what to expect after submitting your request:

 

1. USGBC California Advocacy Team (‘The Team’) may take up to 48 hours to provide a response on whether a letter of support for your request can be granted.
2. If the request is granted, the Team will fulfill your request within the agreed-upon timeframe and send an email with the signed, final letter of support.
3. If the request needs further consideration, the Team will actively communicate the need for more information and when a response can be expected. 
4. At the very end of the process, the Team will distribute a two-question survey for feedback on the experience.

 

Thank you for thinking of USGBC California to support your important initiative!

California Green Building Advocacy Day (Advocacy Day) is a day for USGBC California, its members, and other mission-aligned partner organizations to convene in Sacramento and advocate for the top legislative bills related to shared industry priorities. We aim to annually mobilize our State advocacy efforts to ensure our collective voices are heard by the Legislature and other decision-makers that can shepherd macro-level climate-related policies. 

Our main objective for Advocacy Days is to expand dialogue with State Leaders on current issues, concerns, and perspectives related to green building and sustainable development, influence State-level policymaking by bringing awareness on how bills in the Legislature have impact to the community on the ground, establish a continuous presence with California State Leaders, and be an ongoing technical resource for them and their teams.

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For more information about these events and more, please check out our Events page or contact the USGBC California Advocacy + Policy Team at advocacy@usgbc-ca.org