Finally.
Proponents of Green Building threw a "woo-hoo" into the air this past week when Governor Charlie Crist signed some interesting Executive Orders. The governor attended the Summit on Climate Change in Miami and met with officials from the UK, Germany, members of academia and the public (and, of course, Gov. Schwartzenegger) to discuss what Florida can do to control and curb carbon emissions.
I must give Gov. Crist credit for some highly ambitious goals. Not only does he establish greenhouse gas emission reduction goals up to 40% b 2025, but also directs state and government departments to immediately begin reporting back on current emissions. Some of these orders have a 30-day deadline. I can't remember the last time government acted so quickly.
He has also directed that all new buildings (and this is probably my personal favorite) must meet LEED standards, with a goal of LEED Platinum. According to a contact at the USGBC, this could very well be the most aggressive order yet in the US. Gov. Crist also directs that all existing state and government buildings follow LEED-EB standards (LEED for Existing Buildings). This would ensure that all current government real estate meet strict energy useage guidelines, along with indoor environmental quality benchmarks. He has also directed that no government agency can enter into a new lease if the space does not meed energy-efficient standards.
Again, Wow. As I said, those of us deeply involved in green building in Florida are really excited.
If you're interested in reading the finer details of the executive orders, check out my blog (where this is loosely cross-posted) at www.sustainabuild.net
Wish us Floridians luck that we can move this forward!
Ellen
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Wow Indeed
I've heard about a lot of green building initiatives in Florida recently, ranging from communities to residential and now government. Not at all a place I would have expected to be such a hotbed, but it is.
- maxmsf
Hotbed in a hot state...
Hi Max,
The standing joke around green supporters is that Florida is the Sunshine State.... We should be wearing PV panels on our hats!
You're right, though... Florida seems to be such a natural leader in sustainability. I believe our governor has seen the benefits and is taking initiative to make it happen.
I'm most pleased that the construction industry, the architectural community, and engineers are using their knowledge and experience to promote responsible building in our state, and have been doing it well before government directed it.
They're doing the right thing because it's the right thing to do. Not because someone said, "do it, or you're in trouble". It's definitely encouraging.
Ellen Leroy-Reed
Breaking Ground Contracting Company
www.sustainabuild.net