Clinton/USGBC-NCC Initiative Gears Up for Milestone Announcement

Initial participants include Adobe, Genentech, Google, Prudential Real Estate Investors, SAP and Zynga.

By Ashleigh Talberth, Director, Special Projects, USGBC-NCC

“This [Challenge] is a huge deal. It’s a lay down economically. It’s a lay down in the fight against climate change. And in our fight to become both more energy efficient and energy independent,” said President Bill Clinton as he unveiled the nation’s most cutting-edge challenge yet, the California Best Buildings Challenge.

Inspired by the White House’s Better Buildings Challenge (BBC), the California Best Buildings Challenge sets more stringent goals than the BBC in a landmark, short time-frame.

“[This Challenge] is raising the bar in terms of what is expected in the realm of corporate sustainability,” said USGBC CEO, Rick Fedrizzi. “We are eager to prove that curbing energy and water use and reducing waste by 20 percent in two years is not only possible, but a must-do. The goal is for this type of achievement to become the norm.” Watch Rick’s announcement.

The Challenge is a joint effort between USGBC and its Northern California Chapter, and is part of the Road to Greenbuild that builds momentum in the lead up to Greenbuild in California.

A milestone announcement featuring the next round of Challenge participants will be unveiled in September.

For more information, or to be considered for joining the Challenge, contact Ashleigh Talberth at ashleigh@usgbc-ncc.org.