Green Building Standards in La-La Land

California, perhaps the most ambitious state with respect to adopting green building standards, can add another feather to its cap. On April 22, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaragos signed an ordinance establishing green building standards designed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 80,000 tons by 2012. Approved unanimously by the City Council, the Private Sector Green Building Plan makes L.A. the largest city in the nation to adopt such a program.

The new law requires projects 50,000 square feet and larger and residential buildings with over 50,000 square feet of floor space, 50 or more units, or over six stories high to meet the LEED-Certified standard. The law offers expedited permit processing for projects pursuing LEED-Silver. The law also calls for a slate of other environmentally responsible initiatives, including a review of all city codes to ease the use of environmentally sound materials and processes, the creation of a cross-department Sustainability Team to review and revise green building policies and projects, and staff training and certification in green building methods.

This law follows on the heels of an ordinance introduced last month in San Francisco that would require projects involving more than 25,000 square feet to meet the LEED-Gold standard, which the SF City Council is set to vote on shortly. While we can quibble with some of the specifics of these laws, there is no doubt that by passing them, it mainstreams green building techniques, something that is good for everyone.