6 California Buildings News • Q1 2020
California Advances Green Building Efforts State & Private Sectors Move Forward In Spite of Federal Opposition
T
outing sustainability in the buildings sector might sound like an old song to some, but the need to reduce carbon output in California is still at a crisis level. And not just because of climate change-induced wildfires that annually spark particle pollution into the air, but also due to persistently high levels of ozone as well. The respected American Lung Association’s “State of the Air” gives most California counties — especially those in Southern California and in the Central Valley— failing grades. For instance, during 2015-2017 Los Angeles County logged ozone pollution of 209 “orange” days, 83 “red” days and even 12 “purple” days, and 29 orange and seven red days of particle pollution. Some Central Valley counties had even worse air. Though transportation uses about 40 percent of all energy, buildings are responsible for slightly more than
37% of energy usage (about 23% commercial and multifamily and the rest single-family residential). And since we spend almost all of our time inside structures, the air quality inside buildings is as important as what transportation and buildings expel outdoors. California government agencies and the private sector are moving steadily toward better air quality, in spite of Trump Administration’s carbon lobby-fueled efforts to thwart the state’s cleaner-air campaign with a variety of executive actions as well as widespread legislative opposition.
California’s Latest Energy Roadmap to Greater Efficiency
California Department of General Services Director Daniel C. Kim told California Buildings News, “DGS recognizes the magnitude of impact of global warming and the
