PORTLAND, OR - New Jersey recently became the 12th state in the United States to formally recognize the Green Building Initiative'sTM (GBI) Green GlobesTM environmental assessment and rating system in legislation.
In order to ensure that certain state buildings are designed and built to meet high- performance green building standards, the legislation, which is effective immediately, requires any new construction project of more than 15,000 square feet to achieve at least two Green Globes or an equivalent rating using another nationally recognized certification or rating system.
"We applaud the state of New Jersey for taking aggressive steps to encourage sustainable design and construction and for making the improvement of our built environment an immediate priority," says Ward Hubbell, president of the GBI. "By allowing more than one rating system, the state is providing more options geared to mainstream design and building professionals and, as a result, encouraging the accelerated adoption of green building practices. Policies such as this set an example we hope others will follow with their own sustainability initiatives."
New Jersey joins Arkansas, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Kentucky, Illinois and Wisconsin as states which have formally recognized Green Globes in green building legislation or regulation. For more information about the Green Globes environmental assessment and rating system, or the GBI, visit www.thegbi.org.
About The Green Building Initiative
The mission of the Green Building Initiative is to accelerate the adoption of building practices that result in energy efficient, healthier and environmentally sustainable buildings by promoting credible and practical green building approaches. A not-for-profit education initiative, the GBI is supported by a broad cross section of organizations and individuals with an interest in residential and commercial construction. For more information on the Green Building Initiative, visit www.thegbi.org.
