House Bill 628 , a bipartisan bill, if passed will bring some sensible thinking to the use of the “green” certification process known as LEED certification. The LEED process is controlled by a private corporation and can add greatly to the cost
of a building. It also can discriminate against locally sourced products in favor of products from other places. The LEED certification also judges buildings by such non-construction related aspects as wages paid to people providing materials and labor relations. It even uses how many bike racks you have outside the building and nearby housing density as criteria in some cases (the denser the better – suburbs are bad).
The key part of the bill that protects North Carolina is the new language which says:
To achieve sustainable building standards, 17 a construction project may utilize a nationally recognized high performance environmental 18 building rating system, provided that any such rating system (i) does not use a material or 19 product-based credit system disadvantaging materials or products manufactured or produced in 20 this State; (ii) gives certification credits equally to forest products grown, manufactured, and 21 certified under the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, the American Tree Farm System, and the 22 Forest Stewardship Council; (iii) must be developed in conformity with American National 23 Standards Institute procedures; and (iv) must either be approved as American National 24 Standards or developed by a designator audited by the American National Standards Institute.
This bill is not as the hysterical title of this Business Journal Article an “Anti-LEED bill…” It is a sensible bill to make sure North Carolina products and suppliers are not discriminated against when it comes to competing for projects financed by state taxpayers. Hopefully we will see more such sensible approaches to protecting the environment as we go forward.
Another global warming scam lining the pockets of politically connected donors and fund raisers. This is my shocked face.
Hi,
Could you please explain how this is not anti-LEED bill ?
Also, you mention that “The LEED process is controlled by a private corporation”, but I went to the website and it says it is a non-profit?
Thanks.
A non-profit is by definition a private corporation. It is just a different type of corporation that is tax advantaged. Just as public for profit corporations have to disclose inforrmation via SEC reports, Non-profit corporations have to disclose through 990 tax returns
A non-profit q still has to raise money and can do this in a number of ways. That can be via donations, like Civitas, or through a business activity like selling LEED certification.
Non-profits are not limited in what they pay their employees or what benefits they offer and larger ones often are more generous than for-profit corporations.
As for anti-LEED, this bill is pro-NC workers and products. The way the LEED certification process works it excludes some NC products from being used. NC taxpayers should not be forced to give money to a private corporation that discriminates against NC products and workers.
As to the whole process being a sham and waste of money, that is for another day.