A report released by BOMA and USGBC states that the Obama administration is authorized to use more than 30 existing federal programs worth approximately $72 billion to enhance efficiency in commercial buildings and multi-family housing – with no new legislation required. The report, titled Using Executive Authority to Achieve Greener Buildings: A Guide for Policymakers to Enhance Sustainability and Efficiency in Multifamily Housing and Commercial Buildings cites examples of options that require no new funding or authority such as:
- Greening federal banking regulations
- Promoting flexible FHA insurance products
- Improving performance standards on federal buildings
- Refining the guidelines for tax deductions for energy efficient commercial buildings and the national preservation tax credit
- Integrating energy efficiency and sustainability into grants and formulae
The full report is available at www.usgbc.org/government
Green Homes and Appraisals
According to NAHB, appraisals and mortgages are not properly reflecting the additional savings in operation and maintenance costs that homeowners can expect from a green home. The majority of appraisers do not recognize the value that green features add to the home. In addition mortgage lenders do not always consider the lower energy and maintenance cost of a green home when when making loans. These issues result in buyers who can not get the full financing that is needed to purchase a green home.
To address this, the Appraisal Institute has initiated a seminar on green building and is presenting webinars on the subject. In another effort to deal with this situation, the NAHB, Appraisal Institute, USGBC and the National Association of Realtors have worked together to create the Green MLS Toolkit as a guide to help local multiple listing services to implement a green initiative. This will highlight the green attributes of listed homes and make it easier for buyers to identify homes with the features they want. It will also make it easier for appraisers to see the extra value that green adds to the property.
California Leading the Way
The California State Assembly voted in May to ban plastic bags from grocery stores, convenience stores and pharmacies and to charge at least 5 cents for paper bags. The law still faces approval from the state Senate.
Ikea
Ikea announced that it will phase out incandescent light bulbs from the shelves of its US stores starting August 1, 2010.