Enigin Update - Energy Efficiency Retrofit Call from Diverse U.S. Groups
AN unlikely collaboration between businesses and environmentalists in the U.S. is looking to add pressure to the energy efficiency movement for the good of the economy.
A broad spectrum of real estate, business, lending, manufacturing, environmental and energy efficiency organisations led by The Real Estate Roundtable, U.S. Green Building Council and the Natural Resources Defense Council have launched a joint initiative focused on energy efficiency policies that will create new jobs and boost economic growth.
Utilising their newly launched website the “Coalition for Better Buildings” initiative will focus on public policy issues such as retrofitting the nation’s commercial building stock, which will spark employment in the hard-hit construction sector and reduce energy consumption.
The website includes an analysis that finds more than 114,000 well-paying, U.S. domestic jobs can be created with modest federal incentives. The coalition analysis shows how energy efficiency upgrades would have a ripple effect throughout the economy, generating new manufacturing, production and service jobs while demonstrating how public funds can leverage far greater amounts of private investment to retrofit commercial and large multifamily buildings.
“Public policies that encourage energy efficiency in buildings and create jobs make perfect sense in our uncertain economic climate, said Jeffrey D. DeBoer, president and CEO of The Real Estate Roundtable. “This diverse coalition of industries have come together to work with Congress and the Obama administration on common-sense business practices that will produce real results – jobs, economic growth and incentives for businesses across the nation to take on new retrofit projects.”
“America could save more than 30 percent of projected energy use over the next 20 years using....building efficiency technologies that are widely available today,” said David Goldstein, Co-Director of the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Energy Programme. “Cutting energy usage means cutting harmful pollution from power plants, while creating much-needed jobs in the construction sector. It also means saving money for building owners and businesses — money that can be injected back into our economy to buy goods and services and create even more jobs.”
“Common ground can be elusive these days, but the building professionals and energy efficiency advocates have a surplus. When building stakeholders and environmentalists stand together with one unified voice, decision makers in Washington D.C. take notice,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair, USGBC. “We look forward to working with policy makers on initiatives that will create an estimated 114,000 jobs that support the building industry and slash wasted energy.”
Picture of Power Lines from US Archives.
