WASHINGTON – The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) was selected to join the more than 1,300 college students, 100 university presidents and leading nonprofit organizations, social entrepreneurs, and youth leaders at the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) annual meeting, making its Commitment to Action to help students jumpstart their careers in green building and sustainability through the USGBC Students program.
USGBC’s commitment goal is to partner with student leaders to launch 200 new USGBC Students groups at institutions of higher education in the United States over the next five years.
“Students are the best source of energy to drive innovation and advance practical solutions to the most-important challenges of our time—global climate change, resource and energy dependence and threats to human health,” says Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair, USGBC. “The commitment made at the annual CGI U meeting will work to empower students to advocate for greening their own campus and arm them with the tools they need to initiate and support sustainability projects.”
“We were pleased to welcome the U.S. Green Building Council to the third annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative University,” says Robert Harrison, CEO of the Clinton Global Initiative. “USGBC has recognized the transformative power that young people, working together, can have on the world. We look forward to seeing the results of USGBC’s commitment unfold over the next five years.”
As part of the USGBC Students program, the commitment will work to recruit engaged students and inspired green building professionals, and equip them with resources and training for advancing green building and sustainability projects on campus. Students will assist with building audits, educational programs and LEED green building documentation. The LEED Green Building Rating System is USGBC’s primary tool for green building design, construction and operation.
Students that participate as active members of LEED project teams are eligible to apply for LEED professional credentials, an important accreditation for students who want to pursue careers in green building.
CGI U, built on the success of the Clinton Global Initiative, engages university students, organizations and administrators to make commitments that address global issues with practical, innovative solutions. Its third annual meeting was held April 16-18, 2010 at the University of Miami in Florida. All attendees were asked to make a Commitment to Action—a comprehensive, formal plan to address a specific problem around the world, in their community or on their campus.
About the U.S. Green Building Council
The Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Green Building Council is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings.
With a community comprising 80 local affiliates, more than 18,000 member companies and organizations, and more than 155,000 LEED Professional Credential holders, USGBC is the driving force of an industry that is projected to contribute $554 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product from 2009-2013. USGBC leads an unlikely diverse constituency of builders and environmentalists, corporations and nonprofit organizations, elected officials and concerned citizens, and teachers and students. Visit www.usgbc.org to learn more.