“GREEN” BUILDINGS BEST WAY TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE GASSES

By Ella Tyler

Promoting green design, construction, renovation, and operation of buildings could cut greenhouse gas emissions more deeply, quickly and cheaply than other methods, according to a report issued yesterday by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation. The commission was set up by the United States, Canada and Mexico to address environmental concerns raised by the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Buildings in the three countries cause the release of more than 2,200 megatons of CO2 every year, about 35 percent of the continent’s total emissions. However, green buildings routinely reduce energy usage by 30 to 50 percent and the most efficient buildings perform 70 percent better than conventional properties, according to the report.

However, green building accounts for only two percent of the new commercial building market in the United States and Canada (less in Mexico), and less than half of one percent of the residential market.

The report said that substantial changes to planning, development, and financing of construction are needed to overcome significant barriers to the widespread adoption of high-performance buildings. The report’s recommendations include:

Set clear targets to achieve the most rapid possible adoption of green building in North America, including aggressive targets for carbon-neutral or net zero-energy buildings, together with performance monitoring to track progress towards these targets;

Enhance ongoing or new support for green building, including efforts to promote private sector investment and proper valuation methods; and

Increase knowledge of green building through research and development, capacity building, and the use of labels and disclosures on green building performance. Read the report, Green Building in North America: Opportunities and Challenges.

Houston is second only to Los Angeles in the number of environment-friendly commercial buildings in the country, according to the Houston Business Journal. It cites a report released in January by the Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate at the University of San Diego that said that Houston has 46 buildings that are LEED certified or Energy Star. The buildings total 21.1 million square feet.

The City of Houston is currently building or planning 21 city buildings that will be LEED certified. Mayor White has formed an advisory panel to assist him in educating Houstonians about the benefits of high performance buildings. Its projects include tours of local LEED buildings and development of a green building page . That page is the precursor to a separate website dedicated to educating Houstonians about green building.

Also, in April, the city and Gulf Coast Green are hosting Houston Green Expo: A Sustainable Energy and Green Building Consumer Event. It is free and open to the public. It is the only show in Texas featuring only certified green products, materials, and services. The exhibitors must adhere to specific green building criteria so that the Expo is free of green misinformation. The event is Saturday, April 5 and Sunday, April 6, from 10 am to 5 pm each day, at Reliant Park, in Hall B. For details, visit the website at http://www.gulfcoastgreen.org.