The U.S. Green Building
Council joined advocacy groups yesterday in Washington to press Congress for
passage of energy and climate legislation.
As part of World Green
Building Day, the USGBC brought 80 advocates to lobby lawmakers to support bills
on reducing global warming. The council and other supporters want the bills passed
and signed by President Barack Obama before an international meeting on the
issue takes place in December in Denmark.
USGBC President and CEO
Rick Fedrizzi said the bills’ passage is important.
“As the built environment accounts
for 40 percent of global carbon emissions, the green building movement has an
unprecedented opportunity to make a major contribution to both national and
international carbon-reduction targets,” Fedrizzi said.
A bill dealing with climate change
narrowly passed the U.S. House in June after amendments were added to win
support from Democrats who represented states with heavy manufacturing and
industries such as coal. It garnered almost no Republican support.
With
Congress now attempting to tackle health care reform and 2010 elections looming,
some advocates of the bill worry it will stall in the Senate.
