Tag Archives: Green Globes

Green Building that Cleans the Air

Today’s green building standards, rating systems and codes are stale, largely based in decades old science and do not go far enough to be efficacious for most business to invest in. This is no longer a genuine debate over the negative environmental impact that buildings have on the planet. But the green building industrial complex … Continue Reading

Maryland Expanding Green Building Thru Government Leases

By Stuart Kaplow on February 11, 2018 Posted in Green Building, LEED, State

The Maryland Green Building Council recommended a broad and deep expansion of green building leasing by state government and the Maryland Department of General Services is expected to enlarge what is a “high performance building” for the purposes of state government leasing. The anticipated regulatory change is being widely heralded as a dramatic step forward … Continue Reading

Saint Paul Green With Envy

By Stuart Kaplow on January 21, 2018 Posted in City, Green Building, Green Globes

When the Saint Paul City Council votes this Wednesday on Ordinance 17-60 it should amend the legislation to not delete, from the existing law, Green Globes as one of the approved green building standards. The work product of an advisory committee of experts, Ord 17-60 Sustainable Building Regulation Ordinance, alters and amends the 2009 Resolution … Continue Reading

Green Globes Acquired by GBI Expanding Sustainability

By Stuart Kaplow on January 14, 2018 Posted in Green Building, Green Globes

Last week Green Building Initiative announced that it had completed the bold and innovative acquisition of Green Globes from JLL and I had an opportunity to speak with Vicki Worden, President and CEO of GBI and Bob Best, Executive Vice President of JLL. In 2008, JLL, a Fortune 500 company with more than $50 billion … Continue Reading

2018 will be a Year for New Green Building Standards, Codes and Rating Systems

By Stuart Kaplow on January 7, 2018 Posted in Green Building

2018 will be a watershed year in the course of green building standards, codes and rating systems. There has been no other single calendar year that has seen the breadth of substantive change that is before us. In 2018 there will be new versions of LEED, ASHARE 189.1, IgCC, ICC 700, Green Globes and .. … Continue Reading

Green Globes to be Approved in Maryland

By Stuart Kaplow on August 27, 2017 Posted in Codes and Regulations, Green Building, Green Globes, LEED, State

Last week the Maryland Green Building Council voted unanimously to recommend that Green Globes, at the two Green Globes level, be approved by the Maryland Secretaries of Budget and Management and General Services as a “high performance building” as defined in Maryland law. The vote is being widely heralded as a significant step forward in … Continue Reading

Now is the Time to Revise your Green Building Contracts

By Stuart Kaplow on April 3, 2016 Posted in Green Building, Green Globes, LEED, Sustainability

Today is the day to revise your contracts for sustainable projects. With the U.S. Green Building Council’s recent announcement that all new projects registering for LEED 2009 beginning later this week, on April 8, 2016, will need to satisfy increased minimum energy performance thresholds, everyone involved with LEED projects should promptly review their contract documents … Continue Reading

Vicki Worden on the New Green Globes and Her Commitment to the Mission

By Stuart Kaplow on October 18, 2015 Posted in Green Building, Green Globes

I had an opportunity some days ago to speak at length with Vicki Worden, the Executive Director of Green Building Initiative. Readers of this blog will be interested in what this thought leader in the green building movement has to say. We spoke after the public comment period commenced on the GBI’s revision to its … Continue Reading

You Should Comment on the Revised Green Globes Standard

By Stuart Kaplow on September 13, 2015 Posted in Sustainability

Last Friday was the beginning of the public comment period on the Green Building Initiative’s revision to its ANSI/GBI 01-2010: Green Building Assessment Protocol for Commercial Buildings that forms the basis for the current version of Green Globes for New Construction. Nearly 1000 buildings are Green Globes certified in the U.S. today. The revised Standard … Continue Reading

Fannie Mae Interest Rate Break on Green Building

By Stuart Kaplow on March 6, 2015 Posted in LEED, Sustainability

Fannie Mae's lower interest rates for green building may not be the "in" response to climate change dystopia, but green mortgage backed securities, getting a big boost by this initiative, will be a key source of financing for green building, that will save the planet.… Continue Reading

A Green Building Game of Thrones

By Chris Cheatham on September 17, 2012 Posted in Codes and Regulations, LEED

"Winter is coming." This is the common refrain in the popular book, Game of Thrones, in which kings vie to take over lands. As I thought about the green building policy mess of 2012, I couldn’t help but draw comparisons to Game of Thrones. This was supposed to be the year of the USGBC’s … Continue Reading

Federal Agency Adopts Green Globes Certification

By Chris Cheatham on March 10, 2010 Posted in Codes and Regulations, Federal

During green building presentations that include legal views, I usually expect that someone in the crowd will not agree with my views of the green building industry. Usually, the unhappy audience member cannot fathom that there are potential risks associated with green building. Last week, though, I received a much different reaction when I presented … Continue Reading

Governor’s Mansion Goes Green

By Chris Cheatham on September 24, 2008 Posted in LEED, State

Last week, we discussed the Virginia General Assembly’s attempts to pass green building legislation in 2008. Virginia Governor Tim Kaine was also forced to weigh in on his preferred green building rating system in 2008. Previously, in 2007, Governor Kaine indicated his preference for the LEED rating system in Executive Order 48: “All agencies and … Continue Reading

Green Building Law Update

Environmental Law and Sustainability for Business