Attendees of the Washington, D.C., event
discussed national sustainability and energy-saving effort.
Senior
White House adviser Nancy Sutley was among the guests at Thursday’s federal
summit sponsored by the U.S. Green Building Council.
Attendees
of the Washington, D.C., event discussed national sustainability and
energy-saving efforts, and the council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design building-rating program.
According
to the green building council, U.S. buildings are responsible for 39 percent of
carbon-dioxide emissions, 40 percent of energy consumption, 13 percent of water
consumption and 15 percent of the nation’s annual gross domestic product.
The
USGBC says more efficient buildings can meet 85 percent of future energy
demands and create 2.5 million American jobs.
Group
founder and President/CEO Rick Fedrizzi said the summit is happening at a
crucial time for America’s energy policy.
“Green
building and retrofitting is at the top of the legislative agenda, and now is
the time to work together toward the common goals of advancing green building
and improving our nation’s economy,” Fedrizzi said. “The federal summit
provides a unique opportunity to discuss critical issues and the leadership
role of the federal government in mitigating climate change.”
At the
meeting, Kevin Kampshcroer, acting director of U.S. General Services
Administration’s high-performance green buildings office, and Mark Ginsburg, a senior
executive in U.S. Department of Energy’s renewable energy division, were
recognized for their outstanding leadership in and dedication to green building
with the council’s Federal Green Building Leadership Award.
