Green Building Law Update

Environmental Law and Sustainability for Business

Tag Archives: Codes and Regulations

The Government is Coming For Your Gas Stove But Voters May Save You

Washinton state citizens are going to vote in the November elections to repeal government's efforts to mandate decarbonization because all electric building laws are wronngheaded environmental public policy.… Continue Reading

New Environmental Laws in Maryland: 2024 Brings Opportunities for Businesses

By Stuart Kaplow on April 28, 2024 Posted in Environmental, State

business opportunities to lead and profit in environmental and sustainability matters advantaged by these newly enacted state laws… Continue Reading

Settlement Portends Broad Failure in Attempts to Ban Natural Gas

By Stuart Kaplow on March 31, 2024 Posted in Federal, GHG, State

The immediate and long term failure of state and local governments' attempts to ban natural gas in homes and businesses.… Continue Reading

Defense Contractor Prohibition on Greenhouse Gas Emissions Disclosures

By Stuart Kaplow on February 18, 2024 Posted in Codes and Regulations, Environmental, Federal, GHG, greenhouse gas

Defense contractors are not permitted to “disclose a greenhouse gas inventory or any other report on greenhouse gas emissions.”… Continue Reading

Federal Appeals Court Delivers Coup De Grace in Berkeley Attempt to Ban Natural Gas

By Stuart Kaplow on January 7, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, Codes and Regulations, greenhouse gas, Legal Developments

Attempts by state and local governments to ban natural gas in buildings cannot stand as preempted by federal law… Continue Reading

Maryland Building Energy Performance Standards Effective January 1

By Stuart Kaplow on December 10, 2023 Posted in GHG, greenhouse gas, State

The BEPS regulations, without providing for any meaningful reduction in GHG emissions, risk irreparably harm the Maryland economy… Continue Reading

Greenhouse Gas Data Confidentiality Takes Two Steps Forward

By Stuart Kaplow on November 12, 2023 Posted in Codes and Regulations, Environmental, GHG, greenhouse gas

Businesses must protect their data, not to mention monetize it for their benefit, and can do both while at the same time leading the way toward decarbonizing the economy and repairing the world. … Continue Reading

Navigating the Urban Landscape: London’s Low Emission Zone vs. NYC Congestion Pricing

By Stuart Kaplow on September 10, 2023 Posted in City, Codes and Regulations, GHG, greenhouse gas

London's Low Emission Zone and New York City's proposed Congestion Pricing, while coming from very different places geographically and ideologically, represent dramatic strides in urban planning and environmental stewardship. … Continue Reading

Court Saves Gas Stoves from the Government

By Stuart Kaplow on April 23, 2023 Posted in Codes and Regulations, Energy, Environmental, ESG, GHG

This is a significant setback for state and local governments across the country seeking to ban natural gas, directly, indirectly, or otherwise.… Continue Reading

Endangered Northern Long Eared Bat is a Victim of Biodiversity Degradation

By Stuart Kaplow on March 19, 2023 Posted in Environmental, ESG, Federal, Sustainability

Biodiversity degradation is an existential crisis playing out right now in front of our eyes.… Continue Reading

The Environmental Catastrophe that is PFAS will see Movement in 2023

By Stuart Kaplow on March 12, 2023 Posted in Environmental, ESG

In 2023 we will see important steps toward addressing the challenges posed by PFAS contamination.… Continue Reading

Does Your Lease Need Greenhouse Gas Provisions?

By Stuart Kaplow on January 22, 2023 Posted in Environmental, ESG, GHG, Green Building, greenhouse gas

The aim of this post, about how to repair the planet through leasing, is to set the stage for new ideas… Continue Reading

Ban the Light Bulb to Repair the World

By Stuart Kaplow on January 15, 2023 Posted in Energy, GHG, Green Building, greenhouse gas

In 2023 there is nothing wrong with doing that better than Thomas Edison in 1860, with LEDs, and repairing the planet.… Continue Reading

First State to Authorize Use of the 2021 IgCC

By Stuart Kaplow on January 8, 2023 Posted in Environmental, GHG, IgCC, Uncategorized

Maryland is on the cusp of being the first state in the country to authorize use of the new 2021 edition of the International Green Construction Code … Continue Reading

IgCC will now be Powered by ASHRAE 189.1

By Stuart Kaplow on July 26, 2015 Posted in Codes and Regulations, LEED

Last Friday, the International Code Council and ASHRAE announced that the new version of the International Green Construction Code (IgCC), .. scheduled to be released in 2018, .. will be powered by" ASHRAE Standard 189.1. .. Much of the early reaction has been nonplussed given that, today, there are only a handful of IgCC green buildings.… Continue Reading

HUD Adopts 2009 IECC (Not the 2012 or 2015 version) and Why You Care

By Stuart Kaplow on June 6, 2015 Posted in Codes and Regulations, LEED

For all intents and purposes federally assisted housing must now be green. And while such is generally viewed as positive and as advancing green building (.. the big winner may be LEED), some worry about the implications for affordable housing and others about the homogenization of American housing by federal government efforts to save the planet.… Continue Reading

An Arm and a Leg and the 2015 International Energy Conservation Code

By Stuart Kaplow on May 17, 2015 Posted in Codes and Regulations

The 2015 version of the International Energy Conservation Code is soon to be upon you ... Many suggest that the IECC has much more impact on high performance building than has LEED.… Continue Reading

Green Code Mandatory on April 1 For All Building in Baltimore

By Stuart Kaplow on March 17, 2015 Posted in Codes and Regulations, LEED

Baltimore City adopted the International Green Construction Code ... effective April 1, 2015. And despite that the IgCC becomes mandatory on April Fools' Day, we are not playing a practical joke when we tell you that the effective date has "shifted."… Continue Reading

2015 IgCC Has Been Approved

By Stuart Kaplow on November 28, 2014 Posted in Codes and Regulations, LEED

The 2015 version of the International Green Construction Code (IgCC) has been approved.… Continue Reading

Saint Paul has an Alternative to LEED

By Stuart Kaplow on August 26, 2014 Posted in Codes and Regulations

Many thought green building mandates would spread across the county. But today, with more than 89,000 local government across the U.S., there are less than 200 green building mandates that apply to 'purely' private building. Saint Paul has an alternative to LEED ..… Continue Reading

Enterprise Green Communities Criteria Being Updated

By Stuart Kaplow on August 10, 2014 Posted in Codes and Regulations, LEED

2015 will be a year of great change in green building standards, rating systems and codes. Participating now in the development of the 2015 Enterprise Green Communities Criteria is an ideal way to prepare for what is to come.… Continue Reading

Baltimore City is Adopting the IgCC

By Stuart Kaplow on June 22, 2014 Posted in Codes and Regulations, LEED

This evening an ordinance will be introduced in the Baltimore City Council for the purpose of adopting the International Green Construction Code. Mandatory green building has been and remains the law in Baltimore City. This bill makes the flavor of green more palatable.… Continue Reading

The 2015 IgCC Takes a Major Step Forward

By Stuart Kaplow on May 7, 2014 Posted in Codes and Regulations, Construction

The 2015 IgCC will be released for use in the calendar year 2015 offering a more robust and greener Green Construction Code that will be a real alternative to LEED and Green Globes, with broader and wider adoption across the country. Review the draft and comment now.… Continue Reading

All the Cool Green Building People will be in Memphis Next Week

By Stuart Kaplow on April 23, 2014 Posted in Codes and Regulations, Construction, LEED

All the cool green building people will be in Memphis next week updating the 2012 International Green Construction Code. There are more than 900 changes proposed ..… Continue Reading