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Link to Architect’s Newspaper (Nov. 11, 2024) | What do architecture, construction, climate, and real estate industry leaders have to say about the 2024 U.S. Presidential election results? … U.S. Green Building Council California (USGBC): Ben Stapleton, executive director of USGBC California, said that, after this latest election season, the path for climate experts has […]

California can fast-track a guideline that reliably reduces heating and cooling energy demand up to 70% below the current Title-24 baseline: Passive House. Together, we can put this climate resilience standard onto builders’ and owners’ radar, simply by adding a voluntary Passive House alternate pathway into California’s Title-24. Without this extension, few will know that Passive […]

Link to Architectural Products (Sept./Oct. 2024, pgs 14-16) | What was once a novelty has become the norm. Green Building, sustainability, and efficient use of resources is a given in nearly every new architectural design, as well as for major renovation projects. But what about net zero? When it comes to carbon, waste, water, and […]

In 1990 my family took a road trip from our hometown in rural Washington down the west coast to Disneyland. The road trip was fantastic, stopping along the way to see beautiful redwoods and rugged coastlines – that is until we drove into Los Angeles. There we were, sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the largest […]

U.S. Green Building Council California Announces 2024-25 Board of Directors, Reflecting Breadth of Communities as part of Recent Statewide Unification LOS ANGELES (September 23, 2024)  The U.S. Green Building Council California (USGBC-CA) has selected its Board of Directors for 2024 – 2025, reflecting for the first time the geographic breadth of the recently unified statewide […]

Link to Culver City Crossroads (Sept. 12, 2024) | “It’s clear the entertainment industry is keen on accelerating action to address climate change, and we are excited to have Amazon MGM Studios take the initiative and lead the way,” says USGBC-CA Executive Director Ben Stapleton. “We want entertainment workers along all points of the value chain, […]

USGBC California Launches First Sustainability Standard for Entertainment Workers Los Angeles, CA (September 9, 2024)—The U.S. Green Building Council California (USGBC-CA)  launches its new sustainability training and certification program for entertainment industry professionals. The Sustainable Production for Entertainment Certification (SPEC) is a first-of-its-kind program that uplifts the sustainability skill-sets of individuals through cross-functional training and […]

Link to PRODU Sostenible (August 25, 2024) | El U.S. Green Building Council California (USGBC-CA) – junto con los segmentos de cine y TV, música y deportes en vivo de EE UU– anunció la Certificación de Producción Sostenible para el Entretenimiento (SPEC), una certificación centrada en la fuerza laboral que eleva a los individuos a […]

The building and construction sector is the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, accounting for an astonishing 37% of global emissions. For those of us who work in the industry, this is a sobering and often discouraging fact. Although it is easy to succumb to the feelings of doom and helplessness evoked by the environmental […]

Link to Building Enclosure Podcast (July 29, 2024) | USGBC California has been focusing on directing education and certification to construction workers in the areas of wildfire defense and also new, extreme heat. USGBC California’s Executive Director Ben Staptleton joined us to chat about these programs and more. (Listen here)

The construction industry has long been a significant contributor to global carbon emissions. While significant strides have been made in reducing operational carbon—the emissions produced during the use phase of a building’s life—embodied carbon, which includes the emissions from manufacturing and transporting construction materials, is now receiving the attention it deserves. To address this, California […]

Link to Government Technology (July 23, 2024) | …Meanwhile, GreenWealth Energy will invest about $12 million into building out more than 1,000 Level 2 chargers at multifamily housing across Southern California to serve more than 30,000 households. Half of the focus will be on disadvantaged and low-income communities, said Ariel Fan, founder and CEO of GreenWealth Energy, […]