I first got interested in California’s Assembly Bill 262—signed into law by Governor Brown this week—because it appeared to be thrusting Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) into the mainstream construction industry spotlight. Until this bill, EPDs had been an arcane tool of interest primarily to sustainability professionals.

At least 55 cities and communities around the world have signed on to test the LEED for Cities pilot, and Washington, D.C. has achieved the first certification in the new system—a Platinum rating.

Commercial buildings in California can now get a huge jumpstart on achieving LEED certification. New construction projects meeting certain requirements will enjoy streamlined documentation to achieve all LEED v4 Building Design and Construction (BD+C) prerequisites along with six optional credits, for a total of six automatic points. The move acknowledges significant overlaps between the voluntary LEED rating systems and the progressive energy and building codes in the state.

The rebranded TRUE (“Total Resource Use and Efficiency”) Zero Waste rating system (administered previously by the U.S. Zero Waste Business Council) was recently launched by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) as a way to promote a holistic approach to waste reduction.

The TRUE Zero Waste rating system is meant to encourage and facilitate the green business practice of waste reduction. A company that uses its resources more efficiently and generates less waste is not only reducing its environmental impacts, but also saving money.

Another year, another ground of gratitude for the pioneers who have made LEED what it is around the world.

Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), along with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) just announced the 2017 class of LEED Fellows.

They are: