USGBC Bites Back With Letter To GSA
Lobbying from the plastics and chemical industries has picked up steam as the General Services Administration reevaluates the green building rating system it uses. But the U.S. Green Building Council, the group behind the LEED rating system used by GSA, is not one to sit idly by.
The USGBC sent a letter to the GSA today that includes more than 1,200 signatures, mostly from businesses and organizations, including the American Lung Association and the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association. Cities such as Chicago, Cincinnati and Philadelphia have also signed the letter. The letter praises the GSA for its use of LEED -- all federal buildings have to currently meet the gold standard) -- and pushes the agency to continue using the rating system.
"LEED is the most widely used high‐performance building rating system in the United States. The private sector uses LEED to both verify and communicate the quality of high performance buildings. If GSA, as the 'landlord of the federal government,' were to require or use something else, it would add cost to the building and leasing process across the building industry. We are not in favor of adding cost," the letter reads.
On the other side of the debate is the American High-Performance Buildings Coalition, formed last week and led by groups such as the American Chemistry Council and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
The USGBC sent a letter to the GSA today that includes more than 1,200 signatures, mostly from businesses and organizations, including the American Lung Association and the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association. Cities such as Chicago, Cincinnati and Philadelphia have also signed the letter. The letter praises the GSA for its use of LEED -- all federal buildings have to currently meet the gold standard) -- and pushes the agency to continue using the rating system.
"LEED is the most widely used high‐performance building rating system in the United States. The private sector uses LEED to both verify and communicate the quality of high performance buildings. If GSA, as the 'landlord of the federal government,' were to require or use something else, it would add cost to the building and leasing process across the building industry. We are not in favor of adding cost," the letter reads.
On the other side of the debate is the American High-Performance Buildings Coalition, formed last week and led by groups such as the American Chemistry Council and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
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